The Best Albums of 2021 Part 2

No rankings. Just 50 projects that tell the story of music in 2021’s second half

By Ben Leshan

Donda- Kanye West

Source: @kanyewest

Donda, which is named after the artist’s late mother, feels like a huge moment in music possibly more than any other album this year, as the sheer anticipation Ye is able to create for his new drops at 44 years old is unparalleled. The record also has a top natch cast of feature artists ranging from The Weeknd to Baby Keem to Jay-Z, and everyone seemed to turn in their best work. The return of Jay and Ye on “Jail” is a massive and pure moment, “Pure Souls” with Roddy Ricch is a spiritual experience, and “Moon” with Don Toliver and Kid Cudi would literally make anybody float into the sky (checkout our Top 50 Songs of 2021 Part 2 for more on these). Ye’s lyrics range from inspirational and profound on “Come To Life” to flat out weird in other places, but overall, the production, the features, the emotionality, and the rap skill make Donda one of the best records of the year.

Solar Power- Lorde

Source: @lorde

Solar Power feels reflective of Lorde’s space in life. She is at the point where she does not care what people think of her and wants to live for her own happiness. That has left us with a record with significantly less commercial appeal than her previous albums, but still a lot of important content. Lorde has expressed that she wants to play this record in mid-size venues rather than big arenas, and you can feel that in its intimacy. The lead single “Solar Power” is a fun and free summery track, “Mood Ring” is a catchy critique of wellness culture, and “Big Star”, one of our best songs of the year, is a vulnerable and emotional vocal moment over soft, grungy guitar without drums. Overall, Lorde doesn’t really show off her hit-making ability here, but she still offers a must-listen.

I Was/ I Am- Noah Kahan

Source: @noahkahanmusic

Noah Kahan has a fantastic soft indie voice that has led him to a lot of quiet success, and this project is easily one of the best and most emotionally captivating of the year. Kahan’s takes on love and personal growth feel mature but also openly flawed and human, while the record’s production goes back and forth between acoustic softness and more upbeat folky rhythms. Overall, Kahan finds a great balance, and makes an album with memorable lyrics and amazing-sounding vocals. Highlights include “Part of Me”, “Godlight”, “Caves”, and “Fear of Water”.

We’re All Alone In This Together- Dave

Source: @santandave

Dave is easily a face of hip hop in the UK, and he has a solid presence in the US, but he doesn’t get nearly enough love in the conversation for today’s best overall rappers. He has the bars, the melodies, the storytelling, the hunger, and the artistic vision to be a legend in the rap game, and this album is a reflection of that top level ability. Every track feels carefully crafted with so much attention to detail, from the insightful reflection on life and mental health that is “We’re All Alone”, to the subtly anthemic vibes of “Twenty To One” (featured on our Top 50 Songs of 2021 Part 1), and the hit-appeal of “Clash” with Stormzy.

When I Close My Eyes- Chelsea Cutler

Source: @chelseacutler

Chelsea Cutler never fails to give great vocal performances and capture the emotions associated with youth and love. Cutler always feels sweet and empathetic, while diving into a range of human emotions. This record stays pretty purely in a pop space, and keeps lyrical themes about youth and the experience of falling in and out love. Cutler really has a great recognizable tone and an ability to write lyrics that hit you in the heart, which is shown off quite well on songs like “Walking Away” and “When I Close My Eyes”.

=- Ed Sheeran

Source: @teddysphotos

Ed Sheeran is one of the biggest artists in the world for a reason. A legendary songwriter, he has the ability to pen massive pop hits but also vulnerable and personal album cuts. He does both on this album, crafting smash singles like “Bad Habits” and “Shivers”, writing amazing love songs like “Overpass Graffiti” and “First Times”, and penning thoughtful songs about his life like “Tides” and “Be Right Now”. Sometimes he falls too far into trying to make a song conceptual and universally understandable rather than unique and personal, but for such a big artist with so many demands on him, Ed does a great job of making a record that will make everyone happy, and surely do very well being performed at stadiums across the world.

Certified Lover Boy- Drake

Source: @champagnepapi

One simply can’t have escaped Certified Lover Boy in 2021 whether you are Drake’s biggest stan or his biggest hater. Drizzy consistently catches the most flack of any major rapper, but also sells the most records, so what is the truth about this album? It definitely lies somewhere in between the vehement hate and astronomical sales. The hits are there (“Way 2 Sexy” with Young Thug and Future, “Fair Trade” with Travis Scott), and so are the bars (“Champagne Poetry”, “7am on Bridlepath”), but so are lower points. Drake’s perspective is undeniably immature for a 35-year old father, and he doesn’t explore new territory sonically even though he gives us variety. At the end of the day, he just does what he knows will sell. Overall, CLB is a really good album, we just have to have high standards for such a great artist.

Crusher- Jeremy Zucker

Source: @jeremyzucker

Crusher is full of soft drums and evocative suburban imagery of everyday love and pain. Zucker stays in his pocket of indie guitar tracks, but explores production that leans into hyper pop and rock, and finds a wide enough array of lyrical themes to keep listeners engaged. Everything that he does feels simultaneously intimate and grand. Zucker brings the emotionality and indie edge to sweet pop music, and he captures that vibe very well with this record. Highlights on the record include “18”, an energetic take on the excitement of reckless young love, and “Cry With You”, an emotional support anthem.

Montero- Lil Nas X

Source: @lilnasx

Lil Nas X has gone from meme rap sensation to one of the biggest stars in the world in just a couple years, and he’s still elevating. Montero is big and bold and sees Nas really own his identity as a gay Black man who deserves the respect of the industry. He is a rapper and singer and an entertainer on this record, and the result is immense commercial success. We see him flex his accomplishments on the absolute banger that is “Industry Baby” with Jack Harlow, show brave confidence on “Montero (Call Me By Your Name), and bares his soul on “Void”.

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert- Little Simz

Source: @littlesimz

Simz delivers one of the best all-around rap records of the year here, diving into her life story in a way that is bound to captivate a huge audience. It’s one of those rap records you have to play multiple times and really, really listen to to fully grasp. The British-Nigerian MC does a good job balancing accessibility and technical intricacy, but she packs meaning into every line to the point that a lapse of attention will leave the listener without the full message of a lot of records. She is good on all kinds of tracks, but Simz is really at her best when she spits about serious topics like on “Woman”, “Introvert”, or “I Love You, I Hate You”.

It’s Ok, We’re Dreaming- SEB

Source: @dotseb

SEB, an LA-based indie artist who blew up on tiktok, delivers a polished and exciting debut here. SEB’s voice is always clear and controlled, floating effortlessly over beachy guitar riffs and tasteful drums. The production is laid back and subtle, but perfectly complements his vocals to create a range of moods. SEB really creates songs that make you want to sing along and get lost in. Standout moments come throughout the EP, but “daniel*”, “Coney Island” and “seaside_demo” are his best work.

Something For Thee Hotties- Megan Thee Stallion

Source: @theestallion

A lot of rappers have released a project as a gift to their fans in between more highly promoted commercial albums, but they rarely reach the quality of this record. Meg never fails to spit throughout the album, making banger after banger. The ultimate standout here is her big single “Thot Sh*t”, but every single song features top level rapping. A lot of the songs are short, and many are labelled as freestyles, but Meg did this right, making a project that leave her fans dying for more, not sacrificing quality, but not hitting her top gear quite yet.

Happier Than Ever- Billie Eilish

Source: @billieeilish

Billie is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, and with that comes high expectations, but she was able to be herself and deliver a good record here. Billie’s work is less haunting and less angsty than it was previously, and that likely reflects her growth as a young adult. She still has the same controlled, breathy, iconic voice, and there is clearly incredible attention paid to every aspect of production. There are some parts of the album that feel a little inorganic, but in her most raw and emotional moments, like on the title track “Happier Than Ever”, Eilish absolutely kills it.

An Evening With Silk Sonic- Anderson .Paak, Bruno Mars

Source: @brunomars

An Evening With Silk Sonic is funky, emotional, and soulful as hell. Bruno and .Paak bounce off each other and push each other to new heights, creating an amazing sound with widespread appeal. Everything part of the production has an incredible groove, and was clearly arranged with so much thought. The tracklist is short, but every single song brings something to the table. Just as the title suggests, this album is a whole experience, not just a collection of songs, and it ended up spawning huge hits like “Leave The Door Open” and “Smokin Out The Window” for a reason.

Believe In Me, Who Believes In You- Aries

Source: @aries

Aries has quietly been one of the most consistent indie artists out in recent years, making good song after good song. This record does a good job of living up to the sky high bar he set with his first album Welcome Home, and has multiple undeniable tracks. As a producer and singer, Aries crafts catchy guitar beats that really match his voice, and writes complex metaphors about love and angst. His musical influences range everywhere from hip hop to pop punk to rnb, but the overall output is one of the best indie records of the year, featuring incredible songs like “Ditto”, “Kids on Molly”, and “ETA”.

30- Adele

Source: @adele

Adele’s 30 is different from anything she has ever put out before, but it still showcases the talent of one of our world’s most iconic artists. This record is made more for Adele herself than it is for commercial audiences, with very long tracks, raw emotions, and sonic experimentation. Adele’s previous albums have both the emotional intimacy and commercial side, but this is a clear sign of maturity, of an artist knowing she is so iconic and so successful that she might as well make what she really wants to make. The commercial success is also more than still there for Adele, with “Easy on Me” become a monster chart-topper and many other tracks doing high level numbers.

Negative- Ekkstacy

Source: @ekkstacy

Ekkstacy is one of the single most exciting artists out right now, and Negative is a beautiful indie album that captures human emotion masterfully. Ekkstacy is depressed and numb throughout this record about love and heartbreak, but his pain is constantly palpable. The names of each track spell out a poem that tells the story of his last relationship from beginning to end. This album has the immaturity and emotional exaggeration of young love with the maturity and wisdom of adulthood, resulting in an amazing collection of some of the year’s best songs, including “I Walk This Earth All By Myself”, “It Only Gets Worse I Promise”, and “In Love”. There is immeasurable potential in this project.

TWOPOINTFIVE- Aminé

Source: @amine

Aminé has been one of the rap game’s most quietly successful stars over the last 5+ years, coming with 4 good projects in a row and a lot of creative ingenuity and confident individuality. TWOPOINTFIVE is playful more than it is vulnerable, but that is exactly Aminé’s market, and he does it well. The production is bouncy, the bars are clever and well-crafted, and he is clearly gearing up to come back even stronger on his next official album while delivering some great songs to tide his fans over. The lead single “Charmander” captures the project exceptionally well with an unconventional production melody that Aminé spits hilarious and meaningful bars over.

Letter Blue- Wet

Source: @wet

Indie band Wet create a strong indie album behind the voice of lead singer Kelly Zutrau on Letter Blue. The tracklist is short at ten tracks, but they pack a lot of experimentation into that space, using nontraditional drums, hyper pop vocal effects, and orchestral sounds to create a true musical experience. Zutrau’s voice sits breathily above expansive production on most of the tracks, sometimes distorted, sometimes clean, but always conveying lots of emotion. Standout moments include “Larabar” a ballad with hyperpop leanings, and “On Your Side” a gentle and nostalgic indie cut.

Star-Crossed- Kacey Musgraves

Source: @spaceykacey

Musgraves had a lot to live up to with this record after her Grammy success with her previous album Golden Hour, but this record is a good follow-up. Musgraves makes more radio-friendly songs here, but her iconic tone and vintage style are still there. She shows off an ability to make catchy songs about a variety of subjects, and she continues to be a great storyteller. Standout moments include “Justified” and the nostalgic “Simple Times”.

Scenic Drive (The Tape)- Khalid

Source: @thegr8khalid

Khalid is one of the world’s biggest pop stars, but he always stays true to himself with his music. Scenic Drive leans back into an rnb sound with smooth and soulful sonics, and it boasts an incredible list of features including Alicia Keys, 6lack, JID, Ari Lennox, and Majid Jordan. This feels like a tape between albums, but it is still an amazing piece of art delivered from one of this generation’s best vocalists. Standout moments include “All I Feel Is Rain” for its emotion and earworm hook, and “Retrograde” for its smooth style and standout features from 6lack and Lucky Daye.

Raceway: The Wisdom of Insecurity- SAIAH

Source: @iloveyousai

SAIAH brings intense energy to all of his music, and that energy makes this record special. The album includes one of our Top Songs of 2021 in “Cheater” with Tom The Mail Man, but it is far deeper than that one incredible song, with other outstanding songs like “Misfit” and “Lazlo” with RIZ LA VIE. SAIAH proves to be a great songwriter, as well as a genre-bending artist with a great command of translating emotion into catchy music. He is only starting to get significant commercial success, but this album shows he has the potential to blow up.

Dawn- YEBBA

Source: @yebbasmith

YEBBA is most known for her iconic and soulful voice, which certainly stands out on this record, but she also proves to have a complete artistic vision on Dawn. “Far Away” with A$AP Rocky is a great moment, a soulful jazzy track that just feels like a hit, and other records float between pop, rnb, and jazz with an innovative and unique sound. An artist who has already earned cosigns from the likes of Drake and Ed Sheeran, this album further cements YEBBA’s great potential.

What Do They Know- Tyler Braden


Source: @tylerbradenmusic

Braden proves he is a rising star in country music with this record. It’s best moment is “Better Off” (featured on our Best Songs of 2021 Part 2), a true country hit about the feeling of impending regret post-breakup. Throughout the album he proves to have range, showing over 7 songs that he has a voice and songwriting style that is able to please both old school and new school country fans. He is able to capture imagery with precision and skill, his voice carries a lot of soul, and his storytelling is top tier.

To Hell With It- Pinkpantheress

Source: @pinkpantheress

Pinkpantheress is definitely a product of the digital era, blowing up off of Tiktok with a glitchy techno pop sound that feels like it comes from the future. The 21-year-old English singer has seen incredible commercial success with this album simply off the strength of her social media presence and never-before-heard sound. This album is lo-fi yet bouncy and features concise and innovative song structures that lend themselves well to digital content.

Feeling For My Life- Anson Seabra

Source: @ansonseabra

Anson Seabra has an amazing pop voice and a great pen. Some of his songs are overly conceptual, but for the most part they capture universal emotions and communicate them poetically. Seabra doesn’t have a powerful voice, but his enticing tone makes for amazing-sounding vocals over soft production. There are a lot of great moments on the record with the emotionally-baring “Walked Through Hell”, the sad and reflective “u hurt me hurts u”, and floating story-centered “Magazines”. For lovers of emotional and sentimental pop somewhere in between Alec Benjamin and Lewis Capaldi, Seabra has made a can’t miss album here.

Folarin II- Wale

Source: @wale

Wale has been around for a long time, and he is still making some of the best rap records in the game. Folarin II is consistently lyrical, and Wale does a good job of selecting beats that draw the listener in and complement his vision. The DC legend makes a complete rap album here, bouncing from the upbeat club anthem “Poke It Out” featuring one of J Cole’s most fun verses to the emotional “Dearly Beloved” centered around a Jamie Foxx vocal. Wale is a forgotten legend in the generation of the Kendricks and Coles and Drakes, and he is still making heat in 2021.

Life of a Don- Don Toliver

Source: @dontoliver

Don Toliver is one of the most exciting young stars in hip hop, with one of the most recognizable voices in the game. His songs are laced with emotion but they also feel incredibly cool, floating in time and space adding a dimension to hip hop that usually doesn’t exist. On songs like “Swangin’ on Westheimer” Toliver uses his impressive vocals to create a spacey vibe, and he comes with the energy more upbeat tracks like “XSCAPE”. Don has proven to have one of the dopest sounds and hip hop, and on Life of a Don he shows he is only getting more polished.

Valentine- Snail Mail

Source: @snailmail

Snail Mail is an indie star on Valentine. The 22-year-old Maryland singer builds up the best production of her career on the album and sings with full emotion and energy. There is something defiant and prickly about Valentine but there is also a soft and sweet musical side that creates a nice contrast. Standout moments include “Glory” and the title track “Valentine”, which both makes use of indie guitar riffs and drums to create a nice atmosphere for her voice.

What’s My Name- KenTheMan

Source: @imkentheman

KenTheMan is not a rapper to be played with, and she proves it on What’s My Name. Her flows and bars are consistently on point, and her confidence is infectious. She has all the star power in the world, and it is just a matter of time before she has a big time mainstream breakout. The Houston-based MC keeps the production true to her roots with heavy drums and grimy sounds, and the biggest thing you’ll notice on the album is that Ken stays hungry, always rapping like she means it.

Optimist- FINNEAS

Source: @finneas

FINNEAS has received his biggest accolades in music for his production for his sister Billie Eilish, but he is absolutely an artist to watch, with a great pen, voice, and sense of emotional awareness. There are inconsistencies on this album, with some records not really hitting thematically even though the musicality is always there, but the bright moments are really bright. “A Concert Six Months From Now” is easily one of the best songs of the year, and other more stripped back cuts that show off Finneas’s vocals and perspective on life like “Only A Lifetime” and “What They’ll Say About Us” are gems.

The Melodic Blue- Baby Keem

Source: @keem

Baby Keem’s Melodic Blue has been one of hip hop’s most talked about albums this year. The 21-year-old rapper has all the youthful energy to inspire gen-z, and all the rap skills to resonate with older generations. Keem can fall too far in places into lyrical cliches and similar sounds, but he also has the ability to switch up his flows and rap like a seasoned vet. The obvious highlight of the record is “Family Ties”, featuring a verse from the king himself, Keem’s cousin Kendrick Lamar. It is an extraordinary challenge to match one of the greatest rappers of all time on a track, and Keem stands toe to toe with Lamar on the song, creating one of the single best rap songs of the year in the process.

Inside Out- Nilüfer Yanya

Source: @niluferyanyaaaaaa

Nilüfer Yanya has a haunting and soulful voice that floats throughout the seven songs of Inside Out. The English singer has a vocal tone unlike any you’ve heard before, and her song-writing is infectious and inviting. She is able to genre-bend between a refined pop space and an alt-rnb sound, creating her own mix of sonics that define her unique sound. “Keep on Calling” shows off her best skills, with great and evocative lyrics and space for her voice to shine.

Timelezz- Jhay Cortez

Source: @jhaycortez

Jhay Cortez is a bonafide star, and this record does a good job of showing off his abilities, with some of the catchiest vocals of the year. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican artist has a soulful tone that gives him the ability to deliver consistently amazing hooks, and he has a good ear for production, giving him widespread appeal. “Ley Seca” with Anuel AA is our standout pick for the project, but his vocals and production choies are consistently top tier, meaning the whole album has a ton of hit appeal.

Slack- Molly Payton

Source: @mollypayton

Molly Payton’s Slack is a youthful indie record that stands out for its high level of emotionality. Payton feels a whole range of emotions on the record, and the familiar and un-pretentious indie production makes her vulnerability shine through. Her full and distinct voice invites you in to feel with her, and her songs evoke a youthful excitement that carries a lot of imagery. The project as a whole is an example of amazing potential, with Payton being an artist who could make a huge leap with another record.

King of Killbranch- BIG30

Source: @ceobig30

BIG30’s young Memphis counterpart Pooh Shiesty has gotten most of the national attention, but 30 has been building a great start to his career as one of the south’s most promising young rappers. The production on this album screams Memphis throughout with gritty pianos and heavy drums, and 30’s full voice and Memphis accent deliver his bravado and energy perfectly. 30 raps hungry, and he is surprisingly lyrical, making for great moments throughout the album like “Allegations” with Shiesty and “Whatever Comes With It” featuring Future.

Punk- Young Thug

Source: @thuggerthugger1

Young Thug is an icon for so many reasons. Punk is by no means perfect, but it is a strong album from a trap music legend. It can be a bit all over the place with its various features and themes, but Thug shows off his excellent hip hop voice well and is more reflective and emotional than he has been on some previous records. There are songs with hit appeal like “Bubbly” with Travis Scott and Drake and “Livin It Up” with Post Malone and A$AP Rocky, and tracks with true vulnerability like “Die Slow” with Strick. Thug can be awkward about opening up, but he accomplishes something real showing more of his life on this album.

If Orange Was a Place- Tems

Source: @temsbaby

Tems has an amazing voice that immediately shines on this EP, but she also has a great sense of emotions and an ear for production. The Nigerian singer mixes afrobeats and rnb with ease, working with a blend of sounds that maintain a groove but give space for her impeccable vocal maneuvers. She has incredible vocal control, with ear-catching runs and a whole lot of control displayed throughout the project. Tems should be doing big things going forward after If Orange Was a Place.

At Least We Have This- Ama Lou

Source: @amalougistics

Ama Lou is ridiculously underrated, with an amazing voice and innovative rnb sound that is unmistakeable. On At Least We Have This Ama experiments with different sounds while maintaining a high level of quality. She shows off an ability to sing over drill drums (a trend that might soon take off due to TikTok) on “Talk Quiet”, rap a little bit on “Same Old Ways”, and use more classic rnb production on “Trust Nobody”. The EP’s best highlight is the dancy “All I Can Say” with empowering and beautifully-delivered lyrics.

Fighting Demons- Juice Wrld

Source: @juicewrld999

Juice Wrld was one of the biggest rappers in the world before he died of a drug overdose at just 21 in December of 2019, but unlike a lot of other young stars lost too soon, he had a lot of unreleased music finished. In contrast to other posthumous albums that feel unfinished, Fighting Demons for the most part includes songs as Juice Wrld intended them to be heard because he had so much in the vault. The chosen songs are strong, showing melody and lyricism, ranging from the dark and drugged out sound that made him famous to happier romantic cuts. The biggest highlights include the brooding “Doom” and “Girl of My Dreams” (which you can read more about here)

Gold Mouf- Lute

Source: @lute_west9

Lute comes out of J Cole’s Dreamville camp with complex bars and thoughtful themes that model the general energy of his label boss, but with his own personal twist. It’s clear that the priority of this album is the bars, and Lute comes with elite raps, but he also has an artistic vision that makes this much more than a way to display technical skills. Lute speaks on how he feels about life throughout this tracklist, crafting excellent songs like “GED”, “Birdsong” with JID and Saba, and “Flossin'” with Westside Boogie.

KEYS- Alicia Keys

Source: @aliciakeys

40-year-old singer Alicia Keys has been in the spotlight for a long time, and she’s not slowing down just yet. KEYS is long with 26 songs, but it’s not for no reason, as Keys splits the projects into “Originals”, which are softer piano tracks, and “Unlocked” songs, which have heavier drums and bigger production. The album shows that Keys has a command of a lot of different sounds and vibes, and she shows herself to be simultaneously mature and exciting as an artist.

Little Men- Marc E. Bassy

Source: @marcebassy

Marc E. Bassy leans into rnb sounds but keeps a pop sensibility on Little Men, crafting songs that have soul as well as rich synths and bass with sprinkled in melodies and elements of song structure from pop. Bassy’s distinct tone sticks out, and he shows himself to be able to create songs that drift through sonic space with an effortless swagger. His lyrics could use more depth at times, but his sonic achievements on this record are unquestionable, and it feels like his best work to date.

For Certain (Deluxe)- BIA

Source: @bia

BIA has proven to be an exciting new rapper over the last few years, and 2020’s “For Certain” added a lot to her momentum. In 2021 BIA was able to advance her wave, adding 6 new tracks to fill out the album and show her full range of talents. She proves to have a lot of swag, a great command of flow, and a distinct voice and sound that will give her longevity. This album is fun, slick, and cool, and proves BIA to be a rapper capable of dropping a hit at any time.

I Don’t Live Here Anymore- The War on Drugs

Source: @thewarondrugs

The War on Drugs is delivering fresh indie sounds from a more mature source, creating songs with rich production, catchy vocals, and thoughtful lyrical themes. Their sound is reminiscent of a 90s rock sound, making it stick out in the modern sonic world. The album feels like its sonics were cultivated with a lot of precision and thought, with each song having its unique bounce, but a cohesive use of sound throughout the tracklist. The quality here is really consistent, and the album is just undeniably well-done.

King’s Disease II- Nas

Source: @nas

Nas is still selling records and winning awards 27 years after wowing the world with his classic album Illmatic. He has had releases in between that led to questions about his lyrical content and beat selection, but he has gotten back to the Nas we know and love with the King’s Disease series. Sometimes he tries a little too hard to fit in with modern rap, but his rapping is excellent throughout, and he shows that he still has the ability to make mainstream commercial hip hop.

Still Over It- Summer Walker

Source: @summerwalker

Summer Walker is one of the biggest names in rnb at the moment, and Still Over It keeps her at the top of the game. The album is a bit long at 20 tracks, but it has a lot of good moments, and it features a host of big names including Cardi B, JT from City Girls, SZA, Ari Lennox, Lil Durk, and Pharrell Williams. Summer shows that she has some of the best ability to create a hit of anyone in her genre, and she makes songs that a lot of fans should be sure to relate to and play again and again.

Red Hand Akimbo- Paris Texas

Source: @paristexas

Paris Texas, an experimental hip hop duo from LA, has been making big waves in underground hip hop over the last year. Red Hand Akimbo, a short and sweet EP, shows off their potential. They have perhaps their most exciting moment yet as a group with the song “Girls Like Drugs”, a heavy-hitting banger that shows off some great rap skill, radio-ready production that doesn’t sacrifice the group’s signature sound, and a whole lot energy. Throughout the project the duo feels hungry to do even bigger things.

If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power- Halsey

Source: @iamhalsey

Halsey is in a new stage of her life as a mother, and this album mirrors that life change sonically, with a sound that is much less pop than her previous work. The songs feel primarily focused on their subject matter and energy, and the tracklist features a lot of vulnerability and empowerment, diving into the power of femininity and motherhood. Her vocal tone cuts through consistently just like any Halsey record, the sonics are just more open and acoustic rather than grungy or pop-leaning.

The House is Burning- Isaiah Rashad

Source: @isaiahrashad

TDE’s Isaiah Rashad is deeply respected in the hip hop community for his bars, and he shows them off on this project. Rashad keeps the vibes heavy and chill at the same time, with a serious vocal tone that holds some California swag, and production that keeps the drums prominent and the melodies subtle. Rashad is able to navigate softer and harder songs while keeping a high level of sonic cohesiveness and moving through multiple lyrical themes. For any true rap fan, this project should be a great listen.

Enjoyed the post? Check out our playlist with one song from each of these amazing projects

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The Best Songs Of 2021 Part 2

No Rankings. Just 50 Amazing Songs that tell the story of music in 2021’s second half

By Ben Leshan

Easy On Me- Adele

Source: @adele

Easy on Me is the big Adele piano ballad we all know and love, but this time it’s coming from a more mature perspective. The song has been the massive commercial hit of her 30 album, and it is the most made-for-radio track of a record that has a lot of longer and unorthodox tracks. This is the best of Adele, with phenomenal vocals, true and relatable emotion, and a concise delivery that lends itself to listening again and again.

What’s Wrong- Rod Wave

Source: @rodwave

Rod Wave has gotten a lot of love on this blog, (checkout our spotlight of his album SoulFly) and it’s for good reason. One of rap’s most prolific and talented artists, Rod packed a lot of gems into the deluxe version of SoulFly, but this was the best of them all, featuring incredible passionate vocals that would hit anyone in the heart. On the track Rod answers others’ question of what is wrong with him, explaining all the pain he has been through that has shaped his identity.

Meet Me At Our Spot (Live)- THE ANXIETY feat. WILLOW, Tyler Cole

Source: @willowsmith

Something about Willow Smith’s live performance of “Meet Me At Our Spot” is incredibly captivating. It became one of the year’s most popular songs on TikTok with thousands of users lip-syncing along to her lyrics. WILLOW has a super unique tone and an ability to capture youth and rebellion and her words, and this record is a great example of her talent.

It Only Gets Worse, I Promise- Ekkstacy

Source: @ekkstacy

“It Only Gets Worse, I Promise” is Ekkstacy at this best, singing haunting sad melodies over a slightly frantic indie beat that makes the song danceable. His filtered vocals are perfectly dark and pretty, and his lyrics are concise and poetic always. Just a teenager, Ekkstacy’s song-writing, ear for production, and emotional sensibility give him some of the greatest potential of any young artist.

daniel*- SEB

Source: @dotseb

“daniel*” features some of the year’s catchiest melodies, with a beachy guitar riff and floating vocals delivered by indie artist SEB. SEB has such clear, full vocals that are packed with emotion, and the production plays with the drums nicely to find a soft and subtle pocket. This song just feels like a nice sunny day that you keep replaying in your head.

MEMORIES!- 347aidan

Source: @347aidan

347aidan is only 18-years old, but his talent has already pushed him to a ton of mainstream success. On “MEMORIES!” Aidan layers his vocals creatively to create a magical effect over a YouTube beat, creating a song that blends the melodic sensibility of Post Malone with the edge of pop punk. Aidan’s tone is a standout, and his emotion as he sings about missing someone who never treated him well in first place should hit home for a lot of fans.

Only When I Look Into Your Eyes- Fiji Blue

Source: @fijiblue

Fiji Blue sounds incredibly polished and sure of themselves, as the former Berklee students have found a calm and emotive indie style that has a lot of potential to sell records. “Only When I Look Into Your Eyes” has it all, from an incredibly catchy hook to grooving production and relatable lyrics. Fiji Blue are definitely poised to do big things if they keep making tracks like this one.

Dearly Beloved- Wale feat. Jamie Foxx

Source: @wale

“Dearly Beloved” is short and sweet, and it gives us some the best reflective rap lyrics of the entire year. On the track Wale dives into his emotions surrounding the end of a relationship over Jamie Foxx vocals. He is bitter, yet he is measured and self-aware, and most of all he is firmly human in his lyrics, baring all of his feelings and flaws. The song is a little short with just a single verse, but Wale leaves his listeners dying for more with this track.

Family Ties- Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar

Source: @keem

“Family Ties” is an absolute banger. Simple as that. Most of the hype for this song as a single surrounded the return of Kendrick Lamar, who seemingly hadn’t released as much as a single verse in centuries, but Kendrick wasn’t the only one to bring it on this track, as Keem delivered a stellar performance as well. The flows are non-stop, the bars are clever, and the whole thing just oozes confidence. This is the perfect song to turn up all the way, and it is easily once of the most technically intricate rap hits of the year.

Oxygen- Beach Bunny

Source: @beachbunnymusic

“Oxygen” by Beach Bunny is one of the year’s best indie tracks, featuring some nice rock drums and guitars and great vocals delivered in lead singer Lili Trifilio’s ear-catching tone. Trifilio gets lost in her emotions about falling in love on the song, bringing a lot of passion. There’s a little bit of Paramore in this record, but it feels modern and clean, just as appealing to a casual listener on the radio and a misunderstood teen trying to find their music taste.

Stoned Nights- WizTheMC

Source: @wizthemc

WizTheMC, a 22-year-old artist from Toronto, models after Chance The Rapper with a name that suggest pure hip hop, but music that staunchly ignores genre lines. “Stoned Nights” exist somewhere in an alt-pop space with definite influences from rnb and hip hop, but it is mostly focused on conveying emotion in a manner that carries universal sonic appeal. Wiz gets in his feelings about losing his love, calling out with layered vocals about the lonely nights when he misses her.

Walking Away- Chelsea Cutler

Source: @chelseacutler

“Walking Away” is a deeply sad track delivered with a lot of sweetness. Cutler speaks about the feelings around a breakup, how it is neither person’s fault in this case, and therefore difficult to accept. The sonic appeal of the song is undeniable, it is definitely ready for radio, but it also doesn’t feel like a shallow concept, matching the depth and musical integrity that Cutler has brought to her earlier work.

u hurts me hurts u- Anson Seabra

Source: @ansonseabra

Anson Seabra is amazing at capturing a feeling with his sweet tone and evocative lyrics, and he does that here, singing about the pain of a broken relationship. The pretty quality of his voice in contrast with the darkness of what he sings about makes for an especially heartbreaking song. It provides a sense of comfort but also could make you cry, and shows off how good Seabra truly is.

Big Star- Lorde

Source: @lorde

“Big Star” is the hidden gem of Lorde’s 2021 album Solar Power featuring a lot of her best qualities. The song is stripped down and bare, leaving a lot of room for true feelings. Everything about the track is vulnerable and free. It sounds like it could have built up into a big radio hit with a lot more production, but the intimacy of the song as it was released perfectly fits Lorde’s vision.

Moon- Kanye West feat. Don Toliver and Kid Cudi

Source: @kanyewest

“Moon” quite literally feels like ascending into space. Between Don Toliver’s magical voice calling out “I wanna go to the moon”, Kid Cudi’s iconic soothing hums, and floating production from Ye and collaborators, it is easy to feel like you’re in a whole different dimension when listening to this track.

Panic Attacks in Paradise- Ashnikko

Source: @ashnikko

Ashnikko earned fame as an aggressive rapper, but on this track she shows off her vulnerability and singing. The song feels quite real and raw coming from an artist who often uses her music to harness her strength rather than reveal her vulnerabilities. The theme of the track, struggling with pain and anxiety even in circumstances that are purportedly peaceful and positive, is sure to be relatable for a lot of listeners and has the potential to help a lot of people through similar situations.

Girl of My Dreams- Juice Wrld feat. SUGA

Source: @juicewrld999

Juice Wrld rose to fame for his sad-rap about breakups and drugs, but as we have gotten more of music since his death in 2019, it has become clear that he was also great at writing love songs. Written for his girlfriend Allie Lottie, “Girl of My Dreams” has an undeniable melody and carries so much hit potential. BTS’s SUGA may not have been the best possible feature for the track, but he still hands in a good verse to tie everything together. Watch this track have a huge commercial breakthrough from Juice’s new posthumous album Fighting Demons.

Teenage Mona Lisa- Alfie Castley

Source: @alfie.castley

18-year-old singer Alfie Castley is quite new to this, with “Teenage Mona Lisa” being his only song on major streaming services. Just because he’s young and inexperienced doesn’t mean he’s not supremely talented though. After blowing up on TikTok the track has gained enough momentum to earn hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify in its first month out. A sad and pretty pop song, “Teenage Mona Lisa” uses a unique writing style to capture themes of youth and love.

Big Energy- Latto

Source: @latto777

Latto is a bonafide star, and this song proves it. She spits with pure confidence, flowing effortlessly and spitting empowering bars. “Big Energy” has production that feels like Soul Train trap, and Latto does a great job of staying in the pocket and talking her talk on the record. The south produces a lot of new big name rappers each year, but Latto differentiates herself and shows off her star power here.

One Right Now- Post Malone feat. The Weeknd

Source: @postmalone

“One Right Now” is one of the best pure pop hits of the year, featuring the iconic combination of two of the world’s biggest stars, Post Malone and The Weeknd. They bounce off of each other effortlessly, and the song matches both of their styles, giving The Weeknd space to use his incredible vocal range over slightly funky production while giving Post the space to deliver the catchiest of melodies. This song is just undeniably good.

Love Yourself- KenTheMan

Source: @imkentheman

KenTheMan delivers one of the hardest project intros of the year with “Love Yourself”, coming with quotable bars, a great rap voice, and production that builds up tension until the drums fill in to create a big moment. KenTheMan has amazing potential to become a real star in the rap game, and this track really shows what she is capable of doing.

Go To Hell- Clinton Kane

Source: @clintonkane

Clinton Kane has made his career with soft emotional ballads that showcase his strong voice and sweet tone, but on this track he gets angry, and it works. Kane feels the pain of being cheated on, and he tells his ex to “Go To Hell”. He is able to find his usual vulnerability, and he is not disrespectful, but fully human in his anger. The production leans pop punk more than his traditional pop, and everything just fits together well for a great song. Kane certainly lived up to his place on our Artists To Watch in 2021 with this track.

Dizzy- Chloe Moriondo feat. Thomas Headon, Alfie Templeman

Source: @chloemoriondo

Chloe Moriondo has made multiple appearances on Moonlxte as one of our favorite up-and-coming artists, and she delivers again with a great performance on this track to compliment Headon and Templeman. Rather than heading in an emo direction like Moriondo’s latest album Blood Bunny, this is a great upbeat pop song that can get you up and dancing with spacey chords and grooving drums.

Found- Tems feat. Brent Faiyaz

Source: @temsbaby

Tems, a 26-year-old Nigerian singer with a killer voice, teams up with Brent Faiyaz for one of the most vibey songs of the year with “Found”. Both vocalists have incredible tones that float effortlessly over the subtle percussion and chords in the background. Tems has had a great year with the success of her EP If Orange Was a Place and scoring a Drake feature, and she has what is possibly her best vocal moment of the year here.

I Love You, I Hate You- Little Simz

Source: @littlesimz

Little Simz’s Sometimes I Might Be Introvert produced a number of candidates for this list as one of the most complete rap albums of the year, but “I Love You, I Hate You” might be the best combination of emotional vulnerability and great rapping on the project. On the track Simz dives into her difficult relationship with her father, speaking on a range of emotions before coming to the conclusion that she needs to forgive him for herself.

Llorando en un Ferrari- Anuel AA

Source: @anuel

Anuel AA is a superstar with tons of commercial appeal, and this song is a massive hit, featuring great vocals in his distinct tone and an EDM-pop structure mixed with reggaeton sounds. The name of the song translates to “Crying in a Ferrari”, as Anuel sings in spanish about regretting losing an amazing girl because of his actions, and the despair that he feels despite his luxurious lifestyle.

2gether- Mura Masa

Source: @the_mura_masa

Mura Masa’s unorthodox production style has won him a lot of success in his career, and this track is no different. Featuring moments of girmey synths contrasted with soft vocals and a robotic vocal sample that says “together” throughout the track, “2gether” doesn’t sound like it would work on paper, but it actually creates an emotional moment with some great dance appeal.

Altar- Kehlani

Source: @kehlani

Kehlani has been a bona fide star for a while, and is still coming with the hits like “Altar”. On this track they employ their signature tone to create a nice fusion of a pop-leaning hook and song structure with verses than lean back into their rnb roots. The chorus is a great moment, featuring amazingly clear vocals that are full of passion and energy, and the whole track features amazing work by Kehalni.

Better Off- Tyler Braden


Source: @tylerbradenmusic

“Better Off” is our pick for one of the year’s best country songs, featuring the 27-year-old Alabama singer’s honest lyrics and amazing tone. Braden has the kind of gritty soulful voice that can appeal to more old-school country with a modern sense for hit-making, and he shows it off on this track with a powerful chorus and evocative verses. The song sees Braden worry that he may have made the wrong decision about leaving a lover, and it truly is an emotional country hit.

Put on a Smile- Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak

Source: @brunomars

Mars and .Paak may have produced bigger hits on their Silk Sonic record, but “Put on a Smile” stands out as a Funky ballad that shows off the best of their musical talent. The production is so rich, featuring the cleanest of drums, beautifully layered vocals, and little moments of ear candy sprinkled throughout. Bruno and .Paak both get in their emotional bag on this track, and both quite possibly deliver their best vocal performance of the album on this track.

WYD Now?- Sadie Jean

Source: @sadiejean

19-year-old Sadie Jean emerged as a mainstream artist completely off the strength of this song, which became famous due to an “open verse challenge” on TikTok in which the artist shared her hook and asked other singers on the app to provide a verse. There were some great verses laid down on TikTok, but Jean’s original version of the song has taken off on streaming services due to its sad and relatable lyrics, reminding us a bit of Olivia Rodrigo’s sudden rise with “Driver’s License”. We’ll see what Sadie Jean can do from here.

All Of It- Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion was in mixtape mode on Something For Thee Hotties going in with pure bars, and this song captures the energy of the project. She is on point lyrically, her flow rides throughout the song, her energy is contagiously confident, and the track is just so smooth. In the end “All of It” is a short and sweet track that leaves listeners wanting more.

Tides- Ed Sheeran

Source: @teddysphotos

“Tides” features Ed in his auto-biographical, real songwriting bag, similarly to “Castle on the Hill”, and it works so well. The album intro, “Tides” is reflective and brutally honest, featuring production that is most prominent in the verses rather than the stripped down choruses, coming in with heavy drums and guitars and dropping out later. The song shows Ed is self-aware, able to write a great song with replay value while also talking about his place in life, and it is an excellent album-opener.

Brad Pitt- Mø

Source: @momomoyouth

MØ has been a part of many huge hits like Major Lazer’s “Lean On” and Justin Bieber’s “Cold Water”, but her career is significantly under-appreciated. She has a great voice for big pop records, and she shows it off on “Brad Pitt”, using her airy yet soulful tone to craft a great love song. Overall, the production is bouncy and big, the lyrics are memorable, and the song has a lot of hit potential.

I Hate U- SZA

Source: @sza

SZA captured America with her release of “I Hate U”, a song that shows off her incredible lyrics with lyrics that reflect the feelings of million. The song is gentle and beautiful, but it also is defiantly angry, creating a contrast that resonates with many listeners. SZA absolutely killed this song in all facets, and it seems she is ready to come with even bigger things going forward.

Call U Tomorrow- Montell Fish

Source: @montellfish

Montell Fish has been one of music’s most overlooked voices in recent years, and “Call U Tomorrow” is easily one of the years best songs. Lyrically it’s simple, but the way it is put together is genius, with Fish seemingly crying out into the void with his beautifully pure voice over vocal layers. The production builds and builds reaching an emotional crescendo over heavy guitar chords that is one of the best song moments of the year.

Who Want Smoke??- Nardo Wick feat. 21 Savage, Lil Durk, G Herbo

Source: @nardowick

Nardo Wick has been one of this year’s biggest breakout trap acts, and that goes back to this remix, featuring an insane lineup of stars and a Lyrical Lemonade video. “Who Want Smoke??” is ruthless and terrifying, reminiscent of a lot of collaborator 21 Savage’s catalog. Nardo crafts a mood and unusual yet catchy song structure, and each feature artist comes hard, creating one of the most exciting mainstream rap songs of the year.

All I Can Say- Ama Lou

Source: @amalougistics

“All I Can Say” shows off British singer Ama Lou’s unique talent and ear for production. Her vocals are top level and she does a great job of balancing melody with production that leans into UK grime and hip hop sounds. She sounds supremely confident, but also emotionally vulnerable. The song is simply a bop sonically, and it carries a lot under the surface, making it one of the best records of the year.

Cheater- SAIAH feat. Tom The Mail Man

Source: @iloveyousai

“Cheater” is one of the best alt/pop-punk songs of the year. Up-and-comer SAIAH and future star Tom the Mail Man come with all of the passion and vocals, and the production is top notch. The lyrics are about the pain of a broken relationship, and its packed with feeling, but it also is a song you can dance around the room to, giving it a whole lot of hit appeal.

Brightside- The Lumineers

Source: @thelumineers

The Lumineers built their fanbase with vulnerable and evocative acoustic tracks like “Ophelia” and “Ho Hey”, and this song gets back to those roots. Vocalist Wesley Schultz delivers a soulful performance over a bluesy guitar riff, and the song is full of imagery and cinematic moments. It feels big and grand while maintaining its intimacy in a way that few tracks have this year.

Tommy- Claud

Source: @claud.mp3

Claud has a lot of potential to do big things in the indie pop space with a killer clear voice and a way with captivating lyrics, and “Tommy” shows off all of their talent. Claud gets lost in their feelings about always being compared to another person in their love interest’s eyes and how painful it is. The production is soft and the vocals cut through perfectly, creating a gut-wrenching emotional performance.

For Tonight- Giveon

Source: @giveon

“For Tonight” is one of the year’s best rnb songs by one of rnb’s new most prominent voices in Giveon. His beautiful baritone tone is the star of the show on this song, but the big ballad production is also there, and so are the emotional vocals. This should have been an even bigger hit than it was, and it is definitely one of the best songs of the year.

I Won’t Complain- 44phantom feat. Tom The Mail Man

Source: @44phantom

44phantom and Tom The Mail Man make a fantastic unexpected duo on “I Won’t Complain”, with both of the young singers coming with a lot of energy on this track. Both Phantom and Tom work well in an emo rock kind of space, but both come with a lot of versatility as well. This song is built on great drums, and builds to big heavy choruses that give the singers the perfect space to shine, making an excellent record.

Silk Chiffon- MUNA feat. Phoebe Bridgers

Source: @phoebebridgers

Phoebe Bridgers gained a ton of momentum with her critically acclaimed 2020 album Punisher and “Silk Chiffon” helped build on that moment in 2021. Working together with electro-pop band MUNA, Phoebe and vocalist Katie Gavin both have great performance and create a fun and bouncy love song that completely flips the script on Phoebe’s usual sad vibe.

Fear of Water- Noah Kahan

Source: @noahkahanmusic

“Fear of Water” shows off Noah Kahan’s immaculate tone and great song-writing really well. It is more sad and laid back than some of his other songs on his recent album I Was/ I Am, built on minor piano chords with a lot of space for his voice to shine, creating a sad mood that is furthered even more when strings come in. The track is beautiful and inspiring and the acoustic and orchestral feel is magical.

In The Bible- Drake feat. Lil Durk, Giveon

Source: @champagnepapi

Drake makes so many different kind of songs and works with so many collaborators, but one of his best moods is a darker, grimier rnb-leaning sound, which we get on this track. A haunting vocal sample floats in the background over hard-hitting drums and bass, and Drake gets in his singing bag. Durk and Giveon have a stark contrast as collaborators, but both kill it, Durk with a confident sing-rap verse and Giveon with his normal rnb sound.

Kids on Molly- Aries

Source: @aries

“Kids on Molly” gives a grittier, more rock kind of side of Aries that really really works. The production is built on infectious guitar chords, and Aries’s vocal melodies are immediately catchy. He does a great job of structuring a song with little sonic intricacies that still feels like a radio hit, the vocal production is excellent, the emotion is there, and it is very danceable. This is easily one of the best songs of 2021.

Jail- Kanye West feat. Jay-Z

Source: @kanyewest

The reunification of Jay and Ye on this track is a magical moment that gives us a fantastic track. Ye makes the great production decision to leave out the drums until the last moment of the song, making sure that the listener really hears every word. Hov is at his best here with a great verse, and Ye’s chorus is an epic, massive moment.

A Concert Six Months From Now- FINNEAS

Source: @finneas

“A Concert Six Months From Now” really has everything you would want in a personal, acoustic pop song, with FINNEAS’s strong deep voice, a great story, a killer buildup, and a whole lot of bare emotion. This is FINNEAS at his best, tapping into stories about relationships that could make anyone feel something, and showing off his vocal and production skills.

Happier Than Ever- Billie Eilish

Source: @billieeilish

Billie’s Happier Than Ever title track starts off soft and sweet, but the bigger, grander second half to the song takes off, and landed her a huge hit with this record. On the track Billie laments the way her ex hurt her, using her iconic voice just as well over the soft chords of the intro and the heavy rock guitars of the second half. This is her best work of the year, and easily one of the best songs of 2021.

Enjoyed the post? Check out our playlist of these amazing songs!

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Next Up Rappers

15 Up-and-coming Rappers To Watch Right Now

By Ben Leshan

*all Spotify monthly listeners are as of 8/12/21

EST Gee

Source: @est.gee

Hometown: Louisville, KY

Age: 27

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 3,913,371

Where to start: Capitol 1, Lick Back

Even not-so-tapped-in rap fans have probably heard of Louisville’s EST Gee from his features on Lil Baby’s “Real As It Gets” and Jack Harlow’s “Route 66” (both of which he killed, by the way), but now it’s time for his own releases to get more mainstream attention. Gee raps with a rare hunger that makes every track he touches exciting, and he has the potential to explode in a big way. Signed to Yo Gotti’s CMG, Gee has the platform and the connections to make big moves in the industry. He released his mixtape Bigger Than Life Or Death just recently in July, and he has seen success with the record reaching number 7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Gee doesn’t stray too far from his flow and doesn’t have much versatility in his sound, but he’s found his pocket, and the bigger the occassion, the more he rises to it with a great verse. There is a lane for a rapper like him, and his voice and energy are something different that should make him stick.

Scorey

Source: @scorey

Hometown: Syracuse, NY

Age: 22

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 1,234,366

Where to start: Love Letter, Dior You

Scorey, who is signed to Polo G and got his big break with a feature on the Chicago rapper’s song “Broken Guitars” has a knack for excellent melodies and bars that hit you in the heart. He is somewhere in the lane of artists like Polo and fellow Syracuse rapper Toosii, with an ability to appeal to more hardcore rap fans with his bars but land more in the mainstream with his sound and emotion. His song “Love Letter” may show the best potential in his catalog, with a super catchy chorus and a clear command of melodies. Scorey shows he knows just how to appeal to his listener’s emotions while also creating an unforgettable song structure. He is not quite as polished as bigger rappers in his lane, but there is certainly a whole lot of potential in Scorey. The melodic street rap subgenre has a lot of space in it, and we have seen many rappers do quite well commercially in that lane. As Scorey grows and gets his name out there you can expect to see him have a lot of success.

Hotboy Wes

Source: @_hotboywes2

Hometown: Waco, TX

Age: Unknown

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 319,483

Where to start: Soldier, My Lil Dance feat. Gucci Mane

Hotboy Wes is following Pooh Shiesty as the newest rapper signed to Gucci Mane poised to jump into mainstream success. The Texas rapper flows with the aggression of fellow Lone Star State products like Quin NFN, while his sound may remind other rap fans of a mix between NLE Choppa and Kevin Gates. Wes is also notably influenced by The Hot Boys, as evidenced by his moniker. Wes has the ability to rap straight bars, but he also works well with melody. “Soldier”, his most recent single, seems to be great evidence of what is to come, and that is a great sign. He is able to sing a chorus that immediately draws the listener into his struggles with the law and life in the streets, and he uses his big voice to really go in and tell his story on the verses. It shows that he has hit potential, but he also really has something below the surface that should differentiate him from the crowd. Especially now that he’s signed to Gucci, expect Wes to break out in a big way in the coming months.

Sally Sossa

Source: @sallysosssa

Hometown: Houston, TX

Age: 19

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 810,603

Where to start: Back From The Dead, Star Song feat. Lil Durk

19-year-old rapper Sally Sossa has bars for days and a great voice to deliver them. The Houston product is following in the footsteps of Megan Thee Stallion as a confident Texas girl with great rapping ability and star-power. She also has the versatility to sing at a pretty high level, as evidenced by her Lil Durk collaboration “Star Song”. At just 19 Sossa already has top tier cosigns from Durk and Toosii (who is featured on her song “Right My Wrongs”), but she has star power on her own. Her song “Back From The Dead” is a great example of what Sally can do, showing off confident bars and an ability to flow at a high level. The lyrics aren’t anything we’ve never heard before, but the song sounds good, and it’s meant to be a club-type banger. There is just something about Sossa’s voice and vibe that exude star power. It’s clear that she is hungry to be a great rapper, and she is already really skilled.

Stunna Gambino

Source: @stunna.gambino

Hometown: Washington Heights, NY

Age: 19

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 8,379,144

Where to start: Demons, ZAZA

New York rapper Stunna Gambino has broken out in a major way since signing to Lil Bibby and popping up on a feature with label-mate The Kid Laroi. His feature on Laroi’s “Not Sober” has earned him a whole lot of listens, but Gambino is more than just a Laroi associate. Stunna’s style is clearly influenced by the New York melodic wave of A Boogie-type artists, and more closely resembles the sound of Brooklyn rapper JI The Prince of NY. Even though his music exists in a familiar lane, he has a unique tone and his voice sits in a higher register than similar rappers. Gambino’s catalog often falls into the category of pain music, singing about his struggles in the street over minor chords and 808s. “Demons” exemplifies everything that he does best, featuring an excellent chorus, and showing the ability to switch between different registers and tones to convey emotion. Stunna has room for growth, but as he continues work with Grade A productions, he likely will find his way onto top tier beats and really tell his story. He definitely has the potential to be one of the biggest artists in New York as he advances in his career.

Topaz Jones

Source: @topazjones

Hometown: Montclair, NJ

Age: 28

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 299,346

Where to start: Black Tame, D.I.A.L.

Topaz Jones is bringing a funky and soulful side to rap while maintaining a strong sense of social consciousness and a focus on the bars. His work is somewhere in the vein of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, not to compare the quality to one of the greatest rap albums of all time, but simply to say he is working with similar sonic and thematic influences as Kendrick was on that project. He is definitely not an artist aiming for pop stardom, but there is so much to like in his catalog that he had to make his way onto this list. “Black Tame” is the best example of what he does, as Jones rides the funky production with a great flow. He feels honest and authentic through his lyrics, like he is trying to make a personal connection with listeners that is often missing from newer rap music. His work feels polished and like he has an uncompromising vision. There is so much maturity and thought put into his work, and more people simply need to hear Jones for him to become a big name.

AG Club

Source: @agclub

Hometown: Antioch, CA

Group Members: Baby Boy, Jody Fontaine, Mick Anthony

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 1,016,410

Where to start: Memphis, NOHO feat. ICECOLDBISHOP

AG Club fall somewhere in between Brockhampton, S.O.B R.B.E., and the A$AP Mob as a Bay Area collective with a focus on innovation and artistic vision. Every song has the signature energy of the bay, but there are clearly other influences at play that create a unique sound for the group. There is a lot of vocal layering on their tracks that gives the music the mob-rap feel that they push with their image as a highly collaborative collective. The group decided to name their projects F*** Your Expections Pt.1 and Pt.2 for a reason, they don’t want to sit in the space of what is expected, they want to do whatever they want. That creative freedom leaves them in a good place, as they never miss on quality, and jump around from sound to sound. This is the kind of group that feels exciting to be a fan of because it feels like an emerging movement and not just some rap group. They have style, they have energy, they’re ready to change the game, and they are most likely the next big thing.

Che Noir

Source: @che_noir

Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Age: 27

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 39,645

Where to start: Hustle Don’t Give feat. Apollo Brown, Black Thought, Hold It Down feat. Apollo Brown, Ty Farris

Che Noir is working with a Griselda cosign coming out of Buffalo, and she has proven to be a talented lyricist. She thrives on the kind of boom bap production that her fellow Buffalo rappers love to work on, and she makes sure that in all cases the bars come first. Noir definitely has a great ear for production that takes the boom bap style but has replay value in the modern era. Instead of trying to shift her music to fit was is typically most popular, she has clearly worked on her pen continuously to make sure she can sell records as a pure lyricist. She often has features on her songs, and it would be nice to hear more songs that have multiple verses from her, but whenever she gets an opportunity to spit she steps up and lays down a nice verse. There is clearly an attention to detail from Noir as she crafts each line and chooses each word with precision, and that will serve her well going forward in the rap game.

Remble

Source: @iamremble

Hometown: San Pedro, CA

Age: 21

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 1,967,080

Where to start: Touchable, Gordon R Freestyle

Remble might just be the most unique artist on this list, developing a heavily anunciated flow that takes Drakeo The Ruler’s style and makes it less slick and more formal. He has gone viral on Tiktok because his sound lends itself quite well to acting out the lyrics. Something feels terrifying about the way that every word is so clear in Remble’s raps and he spins tales about gun violence and revenge. The combination of his unorthodox flow and the haunting production he uses makes every word just hit harder. “Touchable” is the most extreme example of Remble’s style, as he seems to intentionally make his voice monotone, adding an extra element to his normal flow. The result is definitely a hit, but his more traditional sounding records like “Gordon R Freestyle” also have a lot of great things going on.

Daniyel

Source: @daniyel

Hometown: Portland, OR

Age: 19

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 134,959

Where to start: Lost Ones, 82nd

Portland rapper Daniyel got his big break when his video for “Lost Ones” landed on Cole Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade channel. The 19-year-old has proven to be more than just that one record though. He is great with melody, lyrics, and delivery, and has a really strong voice with a lot of soul in it. His versatility is really strong throughout his debut 82 (which was featured in our Best Albums of 2021 So Far list), singing passionately over ukulele chords on “It’s Ok”, creating a soft and emotioanl anthem over floating piano keys on “Lost Ones”, and rapping with hunger about his city as he interpolates “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” by The Beasite Boys on “82nd”. It just feels like Daniyel is too artistic and polished this early in his career and has too good of a voice not to be a major artist to watch. He really has the voice to crossover into the pop world, and he comes off as a charasmatic and interesting person in interviews. The sky really is the limit for Daniyel.

Jay Loud

Source: @jayloud317

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

Age: 21

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 201,913

Where to start: No Safety, Need It Back

Hailing from Indianapolis, Jay Loud moved to the Seattle area to chase his dream, and had to overcome homelessness before achieving a record deal. Now he’s starting to see big success with a voice that sounds a bit like Roddy Ricch with a more rnb-leaning sound. Make no mistake though, Loud is very much his own artist. The first thing that will strike you about his music is the pain and passion that he carries in his voice. “No Safety” is a great example of Loud’s ability to tap into his pain and sing about it in an amazing voice, as he sings about his struggles in the streets over a key and 808 beat. Jay is an interesting artist because he has the ability to do runs and simply sing at a higher level than the vast majority of hip hop artists, but he chooses to use those gifts to make rap music instead of just trying to be a singer. We’ve seen that work in big ways for artists all over the spectrum from Ty Dolla $ign to Morray, and Jay Loud has the voice to be a star.

Big Mali

Source: @bigmali3x

Hometown: Raleigh, NC

Age: 19

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 13,078

Where to start: 4,5,6, Outro

Big Mali flows with the hunger of mainstream North Carolina rappers like DaBaby and Stunna 4 Vegas, but with her own unique spin on the style. She hasn’t quite done numbers yet, but her voice and rapping ability at 19 years old are quite impressive. She has so much confidence on the mic, and that gives her so much potential to break out in a big way. There aren’t many rappers this early in their career who feel like they have found their voice and know exactly how to sound polished on their records. “4,5,6” is a great example of Mali’s ability, as she flows over heavy 808s, trap drums, and hard piano hits with a lot of energy and intensity. Mali has star potential because she flows at such a high level and her vocal delivery is so direct and energetic. You want to listen to every word she says, and that will serve her well.

Kenny Mason

Source: @kennymason

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Age: 26

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 514,282

Where to start: Pup, Play Ball

Kenny Mason has been doing his thing for a while now, but he still lands on this list because he doesn’t get nearly the love that he deserves. The 26-year-old Atlanta artist is incredibly versatile and talented, and he has a great body of work behind him, even turning in a project that made our Best Albums Of 2021 So Far list. Kenny is a true artist who is clearly in it for the music, as he barely even shows his face on social media and always has the most to say when the mic is on. He has the rare ability to rap at a top level, but also to shift between genres. He can go back and forth between records like “Much Money” with Freddie Gibbs, a slow boom bap type song, and songs like “Play Ball”, which is a rock song with a rap verse in the middle of it. Everything that Kenny makes has undeniable energy, and he makes sure everything he releases is top quality. Mason isn’t making music in order to become a pop star, but he has room to grow significantly in his lane because he music is just so good.

Kalan.FrFr

Source: @kalan.frfr

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Age: 26

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 667,748

Where to start: Look At Me, Never Lose You

Kalan.FrFr has the westcoast vibe and melodic flare of artists like Blxst and Ty Dolla $ign. His music feels cool in the way that only a California artist can make. His voice sits somewhere more in the pocket of an artist like Vory, but he stays in his westcoast bag, rapping on beats with high drifting synths and door slams. Kalan.FrFr has the swag of an RnB artist while making records that ride rhythmically more like rap songs. He has the kind of voice that sounds good on every track, and he is just so smooth on the beat. “Look At Me” is a great song, as it shows off his tone so well, the production is phenomenal on its own merit, and he flexes incredible confidence as he rides the beat. There has always been a market for cool westcoast artists with confidence and great vocals, and Kalan.FrFr should be able to carve out a nice lane as he grows going forward.

Bizzy Banks

Source: @gmtobizzy

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Age: 22

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 659,146

Where to start: Don’t Start Pt. 2, Bandemic

Bizzy Banks is the next star to pop from the Brooklyn drill scene. Ever since its inception years ago, the subgenre has produced countless mainstream stars from Pop Smoke to Fivio Foreign to Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, and Bizzy has that it-factor. He doesn’t quite have the booming voice that differentiates artists like Pop or Sheff G, but his rapping ability is high level, and he has a great ability to pick beats that give songs immediate hit potential. Bizzy’s greatest strength as a rapper is his ability to flow nonstop with an easy confidence that makes you believe every word he says. On “Bandemic” Bizzy raps over a vocal sample and drill drums, flowing with a lot of energy and coming through with intimidating bars. Bizzy has proven that he has the ability to craft song structures that have anthem potential, and that is the gold standard for a drill artist. Expect Bizzy to really emerge as one of the biggest drill artists in the world going forward.

Deante’ Hitchcock

Source: @deantevh

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Age: 28

Spotify Monthly Listeners*: 467,998

Where to start: How TF feat. 6lack, I Remember

Deante’ Hitchcock has been rapping at a high level for years, and he’s grown to the point that he deserves to be seen as one of the best rappers out. The biggest thing that first strikes you about Hitchcock is his voice, a powerful tone featuring a southern drawl that you just can’t forget. His music is perhaps most reminiscent of fellow southern lyricist Big K.R.I.T., featuring an unforgettable southern accent with great lyrics and storytelling. He might be the most criminally underrated rapper on this list, as he has a top tier pen, and has an excellent quality project under his belt with 2020’s Better. Deante’ is great at rapping about love and his struggles in a way that feels vulnerable, but also reflects on how uncomfortable vulnerability can be. “I Remember”, the intro to Better, is a great example of what Hitchcock does, as he tells the story of his come up masterfully, flexes great pure rapping skills, and shows off his amazing voice. Deante’ Hitchcock deserves his recognition, and more of it is definitely coming.

Enjoyed the post? Check out our playlist of songs to introduce you to these emerging rappers!

Thank you for reading! Please follow us on instagram @moonlxtemelodies, on twitter @Moonlxtemels, and on tiktok @moonlxtemelodies.

The Best Songs Of 2021 So Far

No Rankings. Just 50 Amazing Songs That Have Come Out This Year

By Ben Leshan

The Kiss of Venus- Paul McCartney, Dominic Fike

Source: @dominicfike

Paul McCartney wrote this song, but Dominic Fike turned it into a hit. The 25-year-old Florida artist has all the talent to be one of the biggest in the world, and this song is undeniably special. It’s fun, it’s bouncy, but it also makes you think. This is one of those records you can throw on in the car and everyone is bound to enjoy.

Street Runner- Rod Wave

Source: @rodwave

Rod Wave’s voice sits perfectly on top of a haunting vocal sample, telling the story of how hard it is to maintain love on the road. It is the opitomy of the beautiful pain found in Rod’s music. It sounds like a hit, the vocal licks are impressive, the lyrics are direct and vulnerable, and it has proven to be highly commercially successful.

Serotonin- girl in red

Source: @girlinred

This song is a masterful sonic representation of what it feels like to have mental illness. Girl in red is a star, and she creates a bonafide hit with a soaring and exciting pop chorus and alternative, aggressive verses. She translates anxiety and the state of being medicated into song, and the beautiful contrast is a masterpiece.

I Walk This Earth All By Myself- Ekkstacy

Source: @ekkstacy

Ekkstacy, an 18-year-old Canadian singer who has already been through a lot in his years, grows into his voice and starts the path towards being a star on this record. His filtered vocals float beautifully over simultaneously dark and bouncy production. It feels like something new, but a reminder of the innovation of alternative and emo rap stars before him.

Pup- Kenny Mason

Source: @kennymason

Pup feels like a whole album was shaken up and morphed into one song, and that is meant in the best way possible. There are so many sounds from rock guitars to edgy hip hop lyrics as the track progresses, and it feels like something completely unique. Kenny Mason has a lot of potential to take rap to new places, and he proves it here.

Big Boss Rabbit- Freddie Gibbs

Source: @freddiegibbsofficial

Freddie Gibbs stays making some of the best songs in hip hop. This record features hard-hitting trap drums and nonstop hungry flows. Gibbs make sure to include a sample of Mike Tyson trash talk, and backs it up by rapping circles around his competition on the song. If you want a pure rap banger from this year, look no further than “Big Boss Rabbit”.

Last Night- Tom The Mail Man

Source: @tomthemailman

Last Night feels grungy and angsty, but it also has a soft and pretty side. Tom gets lost in his emotions over a Foo Fighter’s sample, and makes his listener feel every word. This song really shows just how much potential he has to break out in a huge way because it has the authenticity of the underground world with an awareness of universal sonic appeal.

Till Forever Falls Apart- Ashe feat. FINNEAS

Source: @ashemusic

Ashe creates a somber, yet lovely atmosphere on this record, and it comes out as a beautiful love song. FINNEAS proves once again that he is not just Billie Eilish’s brother, and delivers a phenomenal contribution to the record. This song is an excellent take on the sustaining power of love as the world falls apart around you, and it’s definitely one of the best records we’ve gotten so far this year.

No Sense- Baby Keem

Source: @keem

No Sense gives us a new side of Baby Keem, and it’s a good one. The 20-year-old Las Vegas rapper has been responsible for mosh pit anthems, but this record is something different. It maintains his classic dark mood, but the bass synths and percussive hits give it a special bouncy sound, and his singing feels authentic and wavy.

Real As It Gets- Lil Baby feat. EST Gee

Source: @lilbaby

This is one of the best rap bangers we have gotten this year. Baby and EST Gee both go in on their verses, and the whole song just drips with confidence. The beat alone is a slapper, and Baby turns it into an anthem with his knack for hit verses that have something below the surface and catchy choruses. It’s also a good showcase for Gee, who is definitely one of the best up-and-coming street rappers out.

Tokyo Drifting- Daya

Source: @daya

Daya hasn’t released a lot of music in recent years, but it feels like she’s back and ready to take the spotlight with this record. From the first line, “I wanna die/ When I think about that stupid s*** I said to you”, this song is relatable and emotionally raw in the best way. The production rides cleanly throughout the song, and Daya effortlessly glides through the vocals, creating a perfect mood to get lost in.

The Stars- Chelsea Cutler

Source: @chelseacutler

This song is a beautiful expression of love, and Cutler’s soft confidence and unique tone make it real. The sweet and soft production, and quietly bold lyrics create the perfect mood, and it comes out as a very honest and confident way to bare emotions for another person. It just feels right.

Gravity- Brent Faiyaz and DJ Dahi feat. Tyler, The Creator

Source: @brentfaiyaz

Gravity is funky, soulful and enticing. It sounds like you’re floating through a dream, bobbing your head the whole way through. Brent kills it vocally, and pitches down his voice tastefully to create contrast. Tyler’s verse comes at the perfect time, and his flow is impeccable. The overall effect is a slick and artful take on being non-committal.

Shapeshifter- The Blossom

Source: @theblossom

The Blossom embraces their non-binary identity on this record, exclaiming “I can be they, I can be so gay”. This song could be very important for young people struggling to be accepted for their identity, and it also sounds like a hit. The guitars and the drums make you want to dance, and The Blossom has the right voice to kill it. They are definitely an artist to watch going forward.

Go Away- Omar Apollo

Source: @omar.apollo

“Go Away” is a bouncy and fun track that falls right into Omar’s skillset. He proves to be the perfect voice for the track, drifting in and out of falsetto, and building to many ear-catching moments. His voice sits beautifully over the production the whole time, and the emotion is evident. The song has RnB vibes, but also a soft indie groove, perfectly sitting in the genre-bending space that Omar creates.

Montero (Call Me By My Name)- Lil Nas X

Source: @lilnasx

Lil Nas X is no stranger to hit making, but this is something exciting and new, and more than that its message is important. Nas has taken a lot of flack for the song’s video, which shows him descending into hell on a stripper poll and proceeding to dance on and then kill the devil, but he doesn’t deserve it one bit. He is not a children’s artist, he is a 21-year-old gay man who wants to show the world he embraces himself despite being discriminated against by institutional Christianity. This message has the power to save lives, and that makes this one of the most important records of early 2021.

Rapstar- Polo G

Source: @polo.capalot

Polo G has risen to be one of the biggest artists in the game in the last year, but he hasn’t had a release this big until now. The unreleased acoustic version of the record, sung over ukulele played by Einer Bankz, went viral for its sound and emotional lyrics, and fans jumped at the song as soon as it dropped. The record exhibits Polo’s best skills, elite melodies, relatable lyrics, and a catchy structure.

SOS- Sueco feat. Travis Barker

Source: @suecothechild

Sueco seems to be following MGK’s lead here, making a pop punk song after building a following as a rapper. You can tell he has a rock background, and it just works. This song is an anthem. The energy is absolutely undeniable, and it makes you want to jump and rage. His voice is rough on the edges in just the right way, and Travis’s drums push the song along nicely. Sueco captured a feeling here.

I’ll Call You Mine- girl in red

Source: @girlinred

Yep, we’re back with more praise for girl in red. The way this song builds is beautiful, and it has one of the best drops you’ll ever hear outside of EDM and hip hop. The way the drums and guitars drop into the bouncy chorus is a transformative musical experience. girl in red’s voice is clear and full throughout the track, and it is a wonderful description of love. The emotion and the sound of this record hit the mark, and it is one of the best songs on a fantastic album.

Clarity- Conway the Machine

Source: @whoisconway

Conway murders the real rap checklist on this track. Beautifully crafted bars? Check. Intense rapid fire delivery? Check. Booming drums over a catchy vocal sample? Check. Griselda stay making some of the best songs in rap as a clique, and Conway really gets it right on this record. Every hip hop fan has to give this a listen.

Play Ball- Kenny Mason

Source: @kennymason

This song leans rock harder than many of Kenny’s songs, and he does it really well. The grungy guitars and anthemic vocal delivery are nonchalantly energetic, and the live drums add to the atmosphere. We get a shift in energy in the middle of the track as Kenny delivers a strong rap voice in a soft voice, showing his versatility. Kenny Mason is a special talent and this song shows it.

Ramen & OJ- Joyner Lucas feat. Lil Baby

Source: @joynerlucas

Joyner Lucas has always had the talent, but this is probably the best club record he has ever released. He doesn’t quite sound like himself with the vocal processing, but the hunger and lyrics looking back on his struggles hit the spot. The beat is phenomenal, and Lil Baby demolishes his guest verse. The lyrics, the flow, and his voice are just top tier. This is one of the best mainstream rap records of the year.

Bodybag- Chloe Moriondo

Source: @chloemoriondo

Bodybag feels like authentic new pop punk. The song has dark themes, as Moriondo sings about being in the state between loving and hating a person. Sonically, it is nearly perfect, with floating verses over soft drums and bass, and hard-hitting choruses that transport you to another dimension. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to scream out your car window, and it captures all of the energy and youth that Moriondo communicates so well through her music.

Pride is the Devil- J Cole feat. Lil Baby

Source: @realcoleworld

This is the perfect new school Cole song. The T-Minus produced melody (which was previously used on Aminé’s “Can’t Decide”) is a hit on its own, and Cole raps circles around anyone on the track. The moment that Lil Baby cuts in with the same flow after Cole seemingly starts his second verse is genius, and Baby goes on to show he can rap with anyone in the game (which has earned him a few spots on this list).

Beam Pt. 2- Payday feat. Jackboy

Source: @everyonelovespayday

Payday has made a name for herself as a teenage rapper and singer, and this song might be her best work. The remix to 2020’s “Beam”, Part 2 adds a Jackboy verse over the bouncy keys, jazzy woodwinds, and brass. It seems like a mismatch to add a Kodak Black affiliate to an indy song, but this track came out great, and is a perfect representation of the ingenuity and collaborative nature of Gen-Z.

Lovers- Roosevelt

Source: @roosevelt_music

Roosevelt is a 30-year-old electro pop producer and vocalist from Germany. His music feels like an exciting new take on electronic music, featuring melodies that are catchy standalone pieces, but also maintaining a drum pattern and song structure that is more pop-based than EDM. “Lovers” feels cinematic, like it should be the backdrop to a film dance scene. The synth melody is insanely catchy, Roosevelt’s vocal tone is sweet and subtle, and the track is bouncy and fun.

Good 4 U- Olivia Rodrigo

Source: @oliviarodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo broke out with smash hit “Driver’s License”, but this song is much more universally well-liked. On first listen it’s a pop punk song spun for a pop star, which could easily go wrong, but the end product is unquestionably worthy of going number one on Billboard as it did. Rodrigo is just the right balance of angry and sad, and it’s the kind of song almost anyone will find themselves singing along to.

Yonaguni- Bad Bunny

Source: @badbunnypr

On this record Bad Bunny rides the beat in his signature style, floating over chords and reggaeton drums with his signature tone. Almost no one in the world can compete with the Puerto Rican artist commercially, and he has proved it yet again on this record. This song is catchy, and features Bad Bunny yearning for a girl who has a boyfriend and telling her he would fly to the remote Japanese island of Yonaguni for her.

Virtual Reality- Renforshort

Source: @renforshort

Renforshort has perfectly captured the experience of a generation on this song. It is the best description of how so much of Gen Z felt during the covid-19 pandemic, expressing the anxiety and desire to go back to the real world that every young adult felt. In terms of production, there is a bit of a glitchy, Charli XCX-type sound going on, but Ren’s unique voice and youthful vulnerability make the track.

Middle Of The End (How It Feels)- Jack Kays

Source: @jackkays

Jack Kays got his start in his hometown of Cincinnati making what he now references as Soundcloud rap. At that point he was struggling with addiction and working a low wage job. You can hear all of that pain in this song, but he clearly has found his voice. This song is a raw, acoustic expression of pain, in which Kays cries out “How does it feel/ To be stuck in the middle of the ending?”.

So Real- Polo G

Source: @polo.capalot

This record builds on the beautiful vulnerability of 2020’s “Martin and Gina”. Polo’s voice floats with ease over soft guitars and piano chords as he taps into his love for his girlfriend. Polo sings “Say she is the truth, say she is so real/ And I love the way that you make me feel”. This record is perfectly unapologetic, as Polo doesn’t care if he doesn’t seem hard as long as he can make you feel something.

Thot S***- Megan Thee Stallion

Source: @theestallion

Meg has been one of the most commercially successful rappers of the last few years, and she’s back with another hit with this one. This song has a catchy hook, a hilarious and empowering music video, and most importantly some amazing rapping. Meg isn’t going to let men diminish her to sex appeal and she definitely doesn’t care what the haters say. Just listen to how she closes out her second verse, “I’m the s*** per the recording academy (Ah)”.

Let Go My Hand- J Cole feat. 6lack, Bas

Source: @realcoleworld

Cole gets introspective on this song in his signature manner, diving into his thought process around the passing of time and personal growth. The song revolves around the symbolism of his son telling him “let go my hand”, signifying that he is becoming more independent and mature, a thematic lens which Cole then turns on himself. The production feels dreamy and soft, and the background vocals from Bas and 6lack add a lot of depth to the track. This is not a song to blast at a party, but it is one of the best from The Offseason.

Lost You- Snoh Aalegra

Source: @Snohaalegra

On “Lost You” Snoh’s tone carries beautifully above floating keys and an ear-catching kick pattern. Aalegra sings about continuing to want someone who isn’t treating her well. She is in too deep to stop falling, even though she sees the lack of love and bad intentions beneath the surface. This is an undeniable hit with a chorus that will no doubt get stuck in your head, and one of the best rnb records of the year.

Stay- The Kid Laroi feat. Justin Bieber

Source: @thekidlaroi

“Stay” is structured like a hit first and foremost. Laroi uses his falsetto to create majorly catchy moments on the hook, and rides the pocket of the beat nicely on the verses. Bieber adds contrast with his different voice and more optimistic take on love. The biggest star in this track is not the vocalists though, it’s the producers for creating an amazing melody and adding a lot of bounce. The great production isn’t a surprise with the likes of Omer Fedi (“Mood” by 24kGoldn, “Montero” by Lil Nas X) Cashmere Cat (“Señorita” by Camila Cabello), and Charlie Puth behind the boards.

Talk 2 Me- Montell Fish

Source: @montellfish

Montell Fish is criminally underrated for someone with his level of artistry. This track feels almost like an interlude, as it’s short in length and is not highly percussive, but it still carries a lot of replay value. Fish’s tone is immaculate, and the raw emotion is evident. The song makes you feel his pain in a way that a lot songs fail to do. There is something special in the way that Fish cries out “why don’t you talk to me?”.

Wusyaname- Tyler, The Creator feat. Ty Dolla $ign and NBA Youngboy

Source: @feliciathegoat

Tyler’s album Call Me If You Get Lost has a lot of good moments, but the consensus seems to be that “Wusyaname” is the most undeniable track on the project. There is something suave and slick about Tyler’s verse, and when contrasted with the melodic bravado of a Ty Dolla $ign chorus, you get a magical feeling. Also, even the biggest NBA Youngboy fan can’t hate his verse, which is perhaps the highlight of the song.

Wasting Time- Brent Faiyaz feat. Drake

Source: @brentfaiyaz

Brent and Drake both carry an aura of charisma that draws listeners into their music. They are a great combo in that Drake knows how to make great rnb, so he also knows how to drop a verse that compliments an rnb singer perfectly. On “Wasting Time” Brent sings an earworm chorus over excellent Neptunes production, and Drake’s voice sounds perfect over the beat as he flows with ease.

Smoke Break//- KennyHoopla feat. Travis Barker

Source: @kennyhoopla

Kenny’s music is intensely and heartbreakingly vulnerable, both in the vocals and the lyrics. He manages to keep things fun and anthemic on “Smoke Break//”, but also to tap into his darker side. The verses play with the theme of death, while he is more aggressive on the choruses. He says “I wear a mask not cause of virus”, and the song is all a play-on acting tough when you are really hurting inside.

Bigger Man- Joy Oladokun feat. Maren Morris

Source: @joyoladokun

“Bigger Man” has a folky, country, and gospel vibes sprinkled through it, but it mainly features excellent technical singing from Oladokun, and a great contrast in tones between the two singers. The harmonies are both edgy and soft somehow, and the piano melody that plays throughout the track provides a sense of safety and consistency. This record strays more into country than most Oladokun’s work, but it is a very pleasant surprise.

Hardline- Julien Baker

Source: @julienrbaker

“Hardline” begins with big and somber organs that create an ominous feeling that Baker immediately matches with her vocals. As the track builds though, it feels more hopeful and exciting. The production is more complex than Baker’s traditional work, but the lyrical themes match the rest of her album, Little Oblivions, as she works through themes of alcoholism and depression. The result is perhaps the most standout song in one of the best albums released in 2021.

Girls Like Us- Zoe Wees

Source: @zoe.wees

“Girls Like Us” in title alone sounds like it might be an impersonal pop hit trying to use female empowerment to sell a record, but Wees provides the artistic integrity and vocal ability to do a record like this well. The chorus and the production are radio-ready, and have earned this song over 100 million streams, and the vocal display on the record is truly amazing, as Wees hits massive notes with ease

Problems- 44phantom

Source: @44phantom

44phantom is the kind of alt/emo artist that just screams mainstream appeal upon first listen. His image and dark sound might cause some to put him in a box, but his unforgettable tone and knack for melody put him on a different level than his class of pop punk and emo rap influenced peers. This track stands out because everything from the production to the vocals to the lyrics make this sound like a pop punk hit with just enough hip hop influence to make waves across genres.

Stacking Chairs- Middle Kids

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-9.png
Source @middlekidsmusic

“Stacking Chairs” will take you by surprise in the best way. As the elements come in (an initial guitar melody, lead singer Hannah Joy’s voice, drums, Joy’s falsetto, a counter melody in the production) it just keeps getting better and better. Lyrically, this is a soft, poetic, and imagery invoking indie record, as Joy sings “When the wheels come off, I’ll be your spare/ When the party’s over, I’ll be stacking the chairs”.

Girl Like Me- Jazmine Sullivan feat. HER

Source: @jazminesullivan

“Girl Like Me” is a hard breakup song. It has the soft strumming vibes of the production on Eminem’s “Stan” with an RnB twist, which Sullivan’s intensely soulful voice cuts through beautifully. When she calls out “Why don’y you love me no more?” it hits you right in the heart, and HER comes in with her signature tone to add another vibe to the track. Overall, this is a masterpiece vocally and emotionally, featuring powerful and beautiful runs that you won’t believe.

This is How You Fall in Love- Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker

Source: @chelseacutler

This record is a soft and honest love song that feels like home. The production sits softly in the background as the two singers’ voices take the lead, seemingly cutting through the warmth of a rainy day spent inside. The record builds throughout in terms of instrumentation, starting with keys, then guitar, then drums and strings. This song feels intimate and sweet in just the right way, and is possibly the best slow-dance song of the year.

Ditto- Aries

Source: @aries

Aries music has poetic lyrics, layered and intricate production, and catchy melodies. “Ditto” follows the mold, drawing you in with an emotional vocal performance and aura-filled production, and letting you sit and decipher the lyrics as you keep on listening. There is something soft and indie, but the vocals lean towards rock, and the drums even have hip hop influence, but whatever the concoction of sounds, Aries made an amazing record here.

What If It Doesn’t End Well- Chloe Moriondo

Source: @chloemoriondo

“What If It Doesn’t End Well” earned a spot on this list because of its grand emotional build. The guitar melody that starts the track immediately catches your ear, and Moriondo’s soft first verse creates ear candy moments as she begins to hit high notes and hum into the chorus. The vulnerable and sonically pleasing chorus sounds great with its soft delivery the first time around, but as drums come in and everything builds, the same words take on new meaning as Moriondo nearly screams them at the end of the track.

Rom Com 2004- Soccer Mommy

Source: @soccermommyband

This record has a really unique mix of glitchy and electronic sounds with traditional indie and bedroom pop vibes. Soccer Mommy’s voice drifts through the record like a dream, coming in and out of filters and shifting from full voice to falsetto. This feels something like Charli XCX meets Clairo and it really takes the best parts of both styles to make a song that will get stuck in your head.

Twenty To One- Dave

Source: @santandave

Dave is one of the best lyrical rappers in the entire world, but he is also great with melody, and proves it here. “Twenty To One” is full of entendre. The song would have played at 12:40 (20 minutes to 1:00) if a listener played the album right as it dropped, and it also references the year 2021 (20, 2, 1). Beyond his play on words, Dave spins a killer melody, touches on deep topics like relationships, friendships, and criminal justice, and makes a hit in 3 minutes and 21 seconds.

Enjoyed the post? Check out our playlist of these amazing songs!

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The Best Albums of 2021 So Far

No rankings. Just 50 projects that tell the story of music in 2021’s first 6 months

By Ben Leshan

SoulFly- Rod Wave

Source: @rodwave

This album is top tier. It is soulful and painful, and doesn’t have one skip. Rod Wave is one of the best artists in modern popular music, and he is not appreciated nearly enough for that. He came with many hits that were not written to be hits, but written to be beautiful expressions of emotion, and that is special. “Street Runner”, “Tombstone”, “SoulFly”, “Gone Till November” and more add to a huge string of hits in his catalog. At just 21, Rod Wave came with his third excellent project of his career, all of which have been released in an 18 month span. If you like SoulFly check out our spotlight on the album here.

Justice- Justin Bieber

Source: @justinbieber

Justin Bieber will eternally be hated on, but this album is full of hits. “Peaches” has seen monster commercial success, and songs like “Anyone”, “Lonely” and “Ghost” sound undeniably good. Many of the album’s strongest points come from its features and songwriting, which isn’t quite a credit to Bieber, but does show that he did his best to craft a great-sounding project. Adding Martin Luther King Jr. speeches though, and calling the album Justice without addressing social justice, well that was racially insensitive, distasteful, and horribly out of touch. In terms of the music Bieber created a fun-sounding album, but there isn’t the cohesion or thematic maturity that fans were hoping for.

The Plugs I Met 2- Benny The Butcher, Harry Fraud

Source: @getbenny

Benny The Butcher is easily one of the best pure rappers in the game, but he also has been making consistent under-the-radar hits. The 36-year-old from Buffalo comes with all the bravado of Pusha T type drug dealer rap, but he does it with a booming and full voice. Fraud comes through with his unique New York brand of production, playing with boom bap drums over catchy and intricate melodies. “Thanksgiving” deserves to be a massive hit, and there is not one song that is a lyrical miss. Hardcore hip hop fans know Benny well, but this project show how he deserves for the rest of the world to tune in.

Chemtrails Over the Country Club- Lana Del Rey

Source: @lanadelrey

Lana always goes back to similar themes of Americana and dark love stories, but she does it well. Her vocal tone is iconic, and often used beautifully on the project. The title track is the biggest hit, featuring soft keys and her classic haunting lyrics. The album feels like a soundtrack to the dark side of small town America. It is folky, wandering, and intimate. Lana always gets lost in the moments, focusing on vivid imagery through softness, and she accomplishes that well here. It isn’t her best project, but it is definitely a valuable piece of art.

Judas and the Black Messiah Soundtrack- Various artists

Source: @nipseyhussle

This film soundtrack features an impressive cast of characters from legends like Nas and Jay-Z, new stars like Polo G and Pooh Shiesty, and the late great Nipsey Hussle. It is cohesive, both in sound and lyrical content, focusing on race and racism, oppression, and social justice in an attempt to represent the legacy of the film’s subject, civil rights icon Fred Hampton. This project is valuable for its content alone, but the songs have a lot of replay value for their sonic merit as well. From “What it Feels Like” with Nipsey and Jay to “Rich N**** Problems” by A$AP Rocky to “Contagious” by SAFE and Kiana Ledé and everywhere in between, this album gets it right much more than it gets it wrong.

Brent ii- Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker

Source: @chelseacutler

These two artists compliment each other beautifully, creating an emotionally intimate EP with no skips to speak of. They explore themes of love and loss, of growing up, and learning to love yourself with a quiet confidence. Each uses their tone perfectly to create soft and pretty pop songs perfect for rainy days and nostalgic drives. The mood, vibe, and imagery flow from track to track, providing an excellent listening experience. Cutler and Zucker definitely proved to be on top of their game on this one.

TYRON- Slowthai

Source: @slowthai

British rappers never get enough respect worldwide, but Slowthai is becoming a big name globally, and one of the biggest in his country. Lyrically, there is no doubt that he has the it-factor, and his manipulation of his vocal tone and intensity is masterful. He has room to grow as a chorus writer, but his energy and verses are all there. The best songs on the project include “MAZZA” with A$AP Rocky and “terms” with Denzel Curry and Dominic Fike (Dom’s earworm chorus is one of the highlights of the whole record). Overall, Slowthai definitely proved he is a top tier MC and constantly growing as an overall artist with this release.

Spaceman- Nick Jonas

Source: @nickjonas

Nick Jonas keeps this project in a surface level pop space, but this album has many undeniably good elements. The songwriting isn’t deep, but it fits his voice, and is the perfect mix of emotional enough to matter but dancy enough to not always have to listen to in order to enjoy. Jonas uses his iconic falsetto extremely well throughout the project, and he creates a lot of fun moments. “2drunk”, “Spaceman”, “This is Heaven”, and “Nervous” are definitely worth a bump in the car.

Once Upon A Time- CHIKA

Source: @chikalogy

Chika, a 2020 XXL Freshman and bonified rising star, embraces her unique identity on Once Upon A Time. She flexes her lyricism and fast flows, as well as her clean singing voice. There is definitely room for her to create a more full and emotional project, but she is well on the road to doing so. She explores love, Black and female representation, and her come up with a lot of confidence and vulnerability, and her voice sounds great doing it. CHIKA is definitely an artist to watch in hip hop, and she has all the skill to be a star.

El Dorado- 24kGoldn

Source: @24kgoldn

24kGoldn, a 20 year old California artist who left USC after making waves with hit records, created a massive hit last year with “Mood” featuring Iann Dior. The song went viral on tiktok, but it wasn’t just a trend, it truly is a good record. El Dorado does not quite live up to its lead single, but it shows a lot of skill. 24kGoldn has also done a lot of songwriting, and he shows that he is capable of creating hit choruses and verses, and using his voice quite well. He falls a bit too much into recycling cliche hip hop themes instead of leaning into his own identity, but the project shows a lot of potential, and is well worth a listen.

The Internet Killed The Rockstar- MOD SUN

Source: @modsun

MOD SUN has been in the rock game for a long time, but at 34 he is finally breaking out in the mainstream. After working with Machine Gun Kelly on his highly successful 2020 album Tickets To My Downfall, MOD SUN has put out a great record for himself. It doesn’t quite carry MGK’s commercial appeal, but MOD SUN has a unique and powerful voice, and a great ear for a catchy song. He proves he is a rockstar in the age of the internet creating great records like “Betterman”, “Karma”, and “Flames” with his girlfriend Avril Lavigne.

Amusing Her Feelings- dvsn

Source: @dvsn

OVO rnb duo dvsn have been making waves in their genre for years, and this is another great effort. Singer Daniel Daley uses his rich tone with skill, and Nineteen85 shows out with spacey production. The list of features is impressive, with Future, Snoh Aalegra, Miguel, Summer Walker, Ty Dolla $ign and Popcaan all making appearances. “No Cryin” features an excellent effort from Future, and “He Said” with Miguel is a great musical performance. This is definitely one of the best rnb records we got in the first half of 2021.

Lyrics To Go Vol. 2- Kota The Friend

Source: @kotathefriend

This project is short, and purely lyrical, but for what it is, it is excellent. Kota, a 28-year-old Brooklyn rapper, is not one for frills or being an entertainer. He is an MC at his core, and he always stays true to himself. The project features ten songs, none of which are longer than 2 minutes, and Kota doesn’t waist that time, letting off bars with ease on every track. The highlights include “Clinton Hill”, an ode to his Brooklyn neighborhood, and “Living Room”, a one minute dive into the meaning of home and identity.

Shiesty Season- Pooh Shiesty

Source: @poohshiesty

This record is for the Memphis streets that shaped Pooh Shiesty, and he is unapologetic about that reality. Pooh has a knack for creating records that make you want to raise the volume and scream at the top of your lungs. His songs are purposefully intimidating, but his personality is infectious. He uses classic Memphis piano melodies and flows, but his voice has a unique sound somewhere in between Memphis stars MoneybaggYo and Yo Gotti, and his “Blrrrd” adlib is already iconic. “Back in Blood” with Lil Durk is a smash hit, and “Neighbors” with BIG30 and “Box of Churches” with 21 Savage also hit hard.

Neon Shark- Trippie Redd, Travis Barker

Source: @trippieredd

Trippie Redd is eternally slept on for his range as an artist. At only 21, he has put out hit after hit in his career, and his first fully rock project was exciting. Sure, Trippie isn’t completely polished in this space, but you can feel his passion. His big voice and classic screams were made for rock production, and he made a lot of good songs here. “Red Sky” featuring Machine Gun Kelly and “Pill Breaker” with blackbear and MGK have a lot of hit potential, and he does well on solo records like “Dreamer” and “Without You”.

Change of Scenery II- Quinn XCII

Source: @Quinnxcii

Quinn and producer akoyay use soft indie pop sounds well on this record to create drifting imagery of life in an uncertain time. Quinn found himself in Newport, RI, and the songs sound like the misty scenes and colonial homes that make up his videos and album art. He spends the album exploring love and life as a 28-year-old, a man who doesn’t quite have it all figured out, but is well on his way to getting there. It feels sentimental and softly anthemic, and is definitely one of the best-crafted projects we’ve gotten so far this year.

Destined 2 Win- Lil TJay

Source: @liltjay

Young New York rapper Lil TJay started off 2021 with a bang with his smash hit “Calling My Phone”, and he is capitalizaing off that buzz with this album. Some fans are left remincising for his debut album True 2 Myself, but this is still a solid followup. It’s a little long at 21 songs, but the three singles included as bonus songs are hits, and he gets it right on new tracks like “What You Wanna Do” and “Hood Rich”. This project definitely keeps the 19 year old TJay towards the top of the game.

Collapsed In Sunbeams- Arlo Parks

Source: @arlo.parks

Parks, who we covered in our Artists To Watch in 2021 series, spins poetic tales with haunting melodies on her debut. Singles like “Caroline” and “Eugene” settle nicely into the project, and new records like “Hurt” and “Just Go” add new flavor to the mix of songs. Parks’s voice is something special, and its tonality is perfect for the lo-fi records she loves to make. This is definitely a strong debut, and an excellent exploration of love and identity.

Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut- Kenny Mason

Source: @kennymason

Kenny Mason, a 26 Atlanta rapper, proves he is a special talent on this project, which is a sleeper for one of the very best we’ve heard in 2021. Mason proves to be an elite rapper, but also a rockstar on this record, shifting from hard rap cuts like “Much Money” which features Freddie Gibbs, energetic rock songs like “Play Ball” and unique hybrids like “Pup”. This project just oozes talent, and Kenny Mason is certainly an artist to watch.

Flu Game- AJ Tracey

Source: @ajtracey

If you are tapped into UK rap at all you know AJ Tracey, but he really makes his presence known with his best work yet here. The album name alludes to Michael Jordan’s NBA finals greatness despite sickness, and Tracey has clearly overcome the pandemic to put out something great. His voice is always cool and confident and he shows great versatility while making undeniable hits like “Little More Love” and “Dinner Guest”.

if i could make it go quiet- girl in red

girl in red is a huge star, and if you haven’t been listening, it’s time to start. Very few albums on this list can come close to competing with this project. She is intensely vulnerable, but is also in perfect command of the sound of this record. The singles “Serotonin” and “Stupid B****” have the sound of chart hits but all the depth in the world, and “I’ll Call You Mine” has easily one of the best choruses of the year. girl in red captures the feeling of being lost and fighting through the hard parts of life while being reckless and young at the same time. This album has the it-factor.

Blood Bunny- Chloe Moriondo

Moriondo is a very exciting young voice in music at just 18 years old. She knows how to make tracks soft and intimate, but also expresses her confidence and anger masterfully. Her sound is reminiscent of her self described “Favorite Band”, Paramore, but she puts her own twist on it. Blood Bunny sounds young and exciting, but there is a lot of wisdom in the messaging. Moriondo has a beautiful soft tone that cuts through the production on every track, and this record makes you feel something. It is easily one of the best we’ve gotten so far this year.

The Off-Season- J Cole

Source: @realcoleworld

We all knew Cole was about to produce one of the albums of the year, and he definitely delivered. The Off-Season is reminiscent of mixtape Cole because it has the hunger of his pre-fame years in a way none of his recent projects have quite had. This project also lacks and overarching themes like KOD or 4 Your Eyez Only did, but that was a purposeful choice to give Cole space to focus exclusively on the bars. The biggest takeaway from this album is that J Cole is still one of the best rappers in the world, and he has bars. Beyond that, he grows in important ways by working with exciting collaborators (21 Savage, Lil Baby, and Morray have standout contributions), and maintains the masterful production, trademark vulnerability, and commitment to artistry from his earlier work.

La Maquina- Conway The Machine


Source: @whoisconway

La Maquina is just a rap clinic. Eleven songs. Straight bars. Conway steps up to the tone set by his Griselda crew-mate Benny The Butcher this year with a stellar rap record. Conway doesn’t explore out of his comfort zone, but he does what he does so well. From the unending flow of “Clarity” to the grandiose “6:30 Tipoff” to the rapid fire flows of “Scatter Brain” with JID and Ludacris, Conway shows that he is one of the best pure rappers out on this album.

Not In Chronological Order- Julia Michaels

Source: @juliamichaels

Not In Chronological Order is a concise and lively pop album. Commercially, its biggest success has come from songs like “All Your Exes” and “Lie Like This”, but the other 8 records are in no way fillers. Sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it’s dancy, and sometimes it’s more acoustic and laid back. Michaels showcases her tone well and spins tales that are clearly made to be relatable. This is the right way to make a solid pop album with replay value; creating catchy singles with real meaning, keeping it short, and showcasing your best skills.

The Difference- Daya

Source: @daya

This EP shows us a more mature Daya. The 22-year-old broke out as a 15-year-old with her powerful voice, excellent tone, and emotional sensibility. She has always been a star, but she seems to know herself much better on this record. All five of the new songs we get here showcase her voice and songwriting well, and show a nice take on relationships and growing up. Daya seems to have further developed her identity and sound, and she is poised to do big things going forward.

Sour- Olivia Rodrigo

Source: @oliviarodrigo

Sour is a massive commercial success for a reason, Rodrigo makes smash hits (see “Driver’s License”, “Good 4 U”, “Deja Vu”) and makes songs that hit home for Gen Z. She is 17, and it shows, her takes on love and relationship lack adult maturity, but that is exactly what makes them so popular on TikTok and amongst young people as a whole. Her unique tone, powerful voice, and the audience she has cultivated will make her an important voice in pop music for a long time, and this is always going to be an important and influential record.

Golden Wings- Zoe Wees

Source: @zoe.wees

Wees, who we covered in our Artists to Watch in 2021, is proving to be a star in the early part of her career. Her first two singles on Spotify racked up tens of millions of streams in their first months online, and she has a lot more commercial potential going forward. Her huge voice is perfect for belting on ballads, but she is also an excellent voice for a pop record, and her vulnerability is moving. “Control” and “Girls Like Us” are already huge hits, and the other three songs also have massive potential. Wees is quickly becoming a huge global star.

When Smoke Rises- Mustafa

Source: @mustafathepoet

Mustafa created a beautiful collection of records here. Throughout the project the Toronto native uses his breathy and haunting voice to weave tales of gun violence and pain. This “inner city folk” sound is something new, and it is something that the world needed. Mustafa got his start in poetry and went on to write on major pop songs for the Jonas Brothers and Camila Cabello with Frank Dukes, and even though this record sounds completely different from pop, his excellent writing is evident throughout the project. “Stay Alive”, which was first released in March 2020, is a beautifully painful track about losing friends to gun violence, and captures the essence of the project.

Off Saint Dominique- Renforshort

Source: @renforshort

Renforshort, a 19-year-old singer from Toronto, creates an emotional pop with an edge on this six song EP. After breaking out last year with her single “F*** I Luv My Friends”, Renforshort proves with this new release that her ability to create a catchy hit that appeals to Gen Z through sound and lyrics was no fluke. Ren is great at crafting relatable lines and exciting song structures, and songs like the energetic “fall apart” and the mournful “exception” show a lot of range and potential.

Hall of Fame- Polo G

Source: @polo.capalot

Polo G has been extremely consistent with high quality music since he first broke out in 2021. Hall of Fame is no different, as Polo creates a record that is meant to both do crazy numbers and get you lost in your emotions. Yes, it’s long, and Polo might be trying too hard to prove the doubters wrong, but it’s still one of the best rap releases of the year. Polo makes sure to vary his production, to work with the artists you wanted to hear him with, but still stay true to himself. The project is feature heavy, but individual efforts “Rapstar” and “So Real” are highlights.

Survivor’s Guilt: The Mixtape//- KennyHoopla, Travis Barker

Source: @kennyhoopla

KennyHoopla is one of the most exciting and authentic new artists of the last few years (that’s why we covered him on our 12 Artists to Watch in 2021), and when he links up with Travis Barker they make magic. The lead single, “Estella//” put people on notice that the two were amazing together, and they delivered with a full mixtape. Kenny’s energy and vocals draw you in, Travis’s drumming is always on point, and every part of the project feels so genuine. “Smoke Break//” and “9-5 (Love me)//” feel especially exciting of the non-singles

Voice of the Heroes- Lil Baby, Lil Durk

Source: @lildurk

Lil Baby has been running the rap game this year, and Lil Durk has been on the rise to the highest point in his long career. There are some repetitive points, but the highlights are great, Durk and Baby have great chemistry, and both rappers prove that they are some of the best in the world. From “Voice of the Heroes”, to “Hats Off” with Travis Scott to “Rich Off Pain” with Rod Wave, Baby and Durk give us good bars, emotional themes, and great flows throughout.

Super Monster- Claud

Source: @claud.mp3

Claud, a bedroom pop singer from suburban Chicago, and the first artist signed by Phoebe Bridgers in 2020, crafts an excellent debut record with Super Monster. Their voice floats over soft guitars and drums in a way that’s reminscent of Bridgers or fellow bed room pop icon Clairo. The songs are emotional tales of love and the anxiety of finding yourself, and they are told in an accessible, yet poetic fashion. “Soft Spot” is a standout that shows a lot of potential.

In Defense Of My Own Happiness- Joy Oladokun

Source: @joyoladokun

Joy Oladokun’s In Defense Of My Own Happiness showcases a unique and vulnerable voice and a range of sounds. Oladokun shows off amazing songwriting throughout, and shows range from a folky, country sound that matches her residence in Nashville to a more RnB leaning sound. The title of the record is apt, as Oladokun works throughout the album to appreciate and own her identity as a multifaceted queer, Black woman who doesn’t care if other people don’t think she deserves to feel happy.

Sometimes Sorry Isn’t Enough- Tom The Mail Man

Source: @tomthemailman

Tom The Mail Man is such an exciting artist because of his versatility and energy. The 23-year-old Atlanta native has the ability to be a rockstar, a rapper, and everything in between. The records on this album are all packed with emotion, and as a whole it emanates potential. Tom’s music is raw and unapologetic, which means that sometimes he lacks polish, but he mostly just wows you by putting his heart on his sleeve. Records like “Last Night” show how capable he is of making major chart hits as he gains traction.

Be Right Back- Jorja Smith

Source: @jorjasmith_

Jorja Smith has been a big name in RnB for a while, and the British singer shows just how skilled and talented she is with this record. Her voice is so unique in tone and so subtly powerful, and she uses it to create elegantly soulful tracks. Throughout Be Right Back’s eight songs she taps into her pain, but also flexes on her doubters. She proves to be well-rounded and talented throughout the tracklist, and the album seems to be a sign of great things to come.

97 Blossom- The Blossom

Source: @theblossom

The Blossom’s debut EP is a short and sweet. It definitely leaves more to be desired, but also it is a very exciting introduction to a talented artist. “Shapeshifter” is definitely a standout both thematically and sonically, as The Blossom takes pride in being non-binary and not conforming to expectations. Even though we only get 6 songs, The Blossom proves that they can sing and that they have true artistry with this project.

Thank You For Believing- Toosii

Source: @toosii

Toosii is a name that doesn’t come up enough as one of hip hop’s most exciting new voices. At just 21 years old, he has the ability to sing beautiful melodies, but also to craft intricate bars and flows. His music often juxtaposes vulnerability and bravado in an enticing manner. On this album Toosii creates numerous catchy hooks and has a lot to say in his verses, and songs like “In My Eyes” and “What It Cost” deserve more love commercially. Toosii could be next in the lane of major artists like Polo G and Roddy Ricch.

Today We’re The Greatest- Middle Kids

Source: @middlekidsmusic

Australian Indie band Middle Kids delivered an emotional record full of softly cinematic musical warmth this year. Lead vocalist Hannah Joy has a tone that draws the listener in, and sits perfectly over the indie production crafted by the band. Every song feels like it should be the backdrop to an important moment. The songs build and leave space for the vulnerability of Joy’s voice to contrast with enthusiastic instrumentation, resulting in a great product.

Polydans- Roosevelt

Source: @roosevelt_music

German producer and singer Roosevelt develops a wonderfully unique brand of dance music on Polydans. He finds a way to mesh elements of disco with modern EDM, and he melds styles seamlessly. His vocals aren’t powerful, but they work really well with his production to create a feeling. The record does its job of making you want to dance, and songs like “Lovers”, “See You Again” and “Strangers” will never fail to get you up and grooving.

Weekends Look a Little Different These Days- Brett Young

Source: @brettyoungmusic

Brett Young has been one of country music’s biggest stars for a few years now. He’s great at delivering a relatable and emotional track, and he has a lot of star power. On this album Brett showcases his powerful vocals really well. Sometimes he falls too far into cliche country tropes, but the songs feel sincere, and his voice doesn’t sound like anyone else’s. Brett is at his best when the production is on point and he’s singing a sweet love song, which we get on the title track or on “Not Yet”.

Little Oblivions- Julien Baker

Source: @julienrbaker

Julien Baker is consistent with her intense vulnerability on Little Oblivions, which contrasts with the subtly of her vocals and folk leaning production. Baker knows she doesn’t have it all figured out, and she lets her listener in to hear about her struggles with faith, addiction, identity, and mental illness. Songs like “Hardline” and “Faith Healer” are standouts, but Baker is consistent with the quality on this album.

42- Sech

Source: @sechmusic

Panamanian rapper and singer Sech is incredibly commercially successful, but might not be as familiar to many American audiences as he should be. The album is named 42 for Jackie Robinson and Panamanian Baseball star Mariano Rivera, as Sech represents for Black people and his home nation. He tried to create a fun album that people could party to as the Covid-19 pandemic eased, and the result is an exciting album that anyone can vibe to even without understanding spanish.

Heaux Tales- Jazmine Sullivan

Source: @jazminesullivan

Jazmine Sullivan has a truly powerful and soulful voice, and the 34-year-old will definitely be adding to her career accolades after the release of Heaux Tales. “Pick Up Your Feelings” is an empowering anthem, and “Girl Like Me” with H.E.R. is an amazing vocal spectacle. This album about the strength of womanhood, and all of the elements that go into that. Sullivan explores a range of themes, but the project is cohesive, and the vocals are on point throughout.

Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine- Brockhampton

Source: @brockhampton

Brockhampton has truly redefined what it means to be a boyband since their inception, creating non-traditional hip hop songs that have been hugely influential and commercially successful. This album feels mature and polished. There are harder hip hop records like “Bankroll” with A$AP mob members Rocky and Ferg, pop-leaning cuts like “Count On Me” and songs that exist somewhere in between. Brockhampton really got it right with this album.

Life By Misadventure- Rag’n’Bone Man

Source: @ragnboneman

Rag’n’Bone Man is best known for his booming soulful voice, but he came into his own artistically with this album. “Crossfire” is one of the best songs we’ve gotten this year, featuring powerful singing, heavy drums, and an earworm key melody. Rag’n’Bone Man keeps going back to the pain in his voice, and in doing so he creates an album that feels like indy rock with a soul.

Mixed Emotions- Jack Kays

Source: @jackkays

Jack Kays’ Mixed Emotions feels like a mix between early 2010s indy rock and Soundcloud rap. He draws on the vulnerable feel of acoustic production, but his pain isn’t veiled in metaphors, it’s out in the open for everyone to see. The Cincinnati artist has a haunting voice that communicates sadness beautifully, and Kays uses it to sing about struggles with addiction and mental illness. Songs like “Morbid Mind” and “Bottom Of The Bottle” are special, and Kays seems to be on track to get even better.

KG0516- Karol G

Source: @karolg

Karol G is one of the biggest stars in Latin music, and this album was a massive commercial success. The album’s name is a flight number, representing Karol’s ascent in her career and as a person. Karol came through with the hits on this record, with songs like “Tusa” with Nicki Minaj, “Bichota”, and “Ay, Dios Mío” doing huge numbers. The songs on this record have a lot of bounce and huge pop appeal.

82- Daniyel

Source: @daniyel

Daniyel, a 19-year-old rapper from Portland, Oregon, is deeply mature with his vision for his age. Ever since his breakout song “Lost Ones” (a sweet ode to his aunt who passed away) received a video on star director Cole Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade youtube channel, Daniyel has kept creating great music. 82 is raw in some ways, but overall, it a great reflection of a young man who cares deeply for his loved ones, his city, and for music, and who has a great voice to tell stories and move people.

Enjoyed the post? Check out our playlist with one song from each of these amazing projects

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Project Spotlight: “SoulFly” by Rod Wave

This series covers amazing projects that inspire in-depth analysis. This is not an album review, just a deep dive into the project and a guide for listeners

By Ben Leshan

Rod Wave, a 21-year-old rapper and singer from St. Petersburg, Florida, dropped a heater with SoulFly. First rising to significant mainstream fame on the strength of his 2019 heartbreak anthem “Heart on Ice”, Wave has been one of the most prolific and successful artists in hip hop over the last few years. His music is often criticized for being too sad, too painful, and dark for many average listeners, but he isn’t worried about that opinion. His music is a way to explore and release his pain, and he markets it as such. Rod does not care who is not listening because he makes music for the love of it, and he is churning out platinum and gold records while doing so. His songs tend to fit the same general style, featuring minor chords and catchy melodies on guitar and piano, with the occasional added vocal sample. He works with trap drums, but most of his production leaves room for him to showcase stronger vocal melodies than most rappers are capable of creating. He is a great chorus writer, capable of using his deep rapping voice, his full, belting singing tone, and haunting falsetto to create different moods. He tends to layer vocals on top of each other to create moments of soft beauty and straining pain. His verses usually feature more traditional rapping, and are often deceptively lyrical. If anything, one should come away from a Rod Wave song recognizing that they just experienced a deeply soulful take on hip hop. Rod’s lyrical content is often centered around storytelling, about his past, his childhood, his time in the streets, and his relationships. He finds a way to turn introspection into concise, relatable and powerful expressions of pain. Every line is packed with emotion.

Source: @rodwave

Rod Wave began his career with a series of mixtapes, the first two being released independently, and then three more coming after his signing to Alamo. Since then, beginning in late 2019 he has released three studio albums: Ghetto Gospel, Pray 4 Love, and now SoulFly. Each has been commercially successful, and each is packed with hits, but also some of the strongest album cuts in hip hop. There is not one song that doesn’t mean something on a Rod Wave album. He doesn’t fall into the trap of trying to write hits, which leads to a high miss rate, and a lot of throwaways for other artists. Instead of focusing primarily on the marketability, Rod Wave is truly here for the music and the emotion behind it. The result is a series of projects that do not have skips. Sure, the production, the vocal performance, and the stories hit harder on some of the songs, but you are not going to come away from listening to a full Rod Wave album as a casual fan. Once he draws you in, you are all in. The sincerity, and honesty is so evident and so raw that it simply cannot be ignored.

SoulFly is the gold standard for a melodic pain rap album. Yes, it is a little long, but Rod Wave is a hustler at his roots, and when he makes a good song he is going to put it out. At the end of the day, no one should be complaining that more Rod Wave music came out. We get 19 songs with only one feature, and at that a dream feature in Polo G (which Rod said came about due to a chance meeting at the jewelry store). The two artists came up at the same time, and though they’re from different cities, and have different voices, they are two of the best in the world at pouring their pain into a beautiful melody. Their collaboration, “Richer”, does not disappoint, as it features an infectious chorus from Rod, and sees Polo ride the beat masterfully on his verse. Throughout the project we see Rod touch on previous lyrical themes in new ways. He speaks about love and relationships as a famous rapper, about heartbreak, about his relationship with his father, about losing friends, about the struggle of growing up in poverty, about depression, and about being a “popular loner” (which is the name of one of his older, excellent tracks). He also gets to new topics, as he speaks about being a new father (he recently had twin girls) and the state of the rap game as a whole.

Source: @rodwave

The biggest highlights on the album include the singles, “Street Runner” and “Tombstone”, as well as “Richer”, the title track “SoulFly”, and a few others like “Gone Till November”, “Pillz and Billz” and “Invisible Scar”. We see repeated themes both sonically and lyrically in the other tracks, but they are certainly all significantly more valuable and unique than traditional album cuts. This album is more than worth listening the whole way through.

“SoulFly”, the title track, is a really strong start to the project. Rod flexes his lyrical prowess with slick bars like, “Laid in the cut like peroxide”, and creates a unique sonic atmosphere. The best thing that Rod does with this track is establish a mood for the project to come. He is unapologetic, he is confidently vulnerable, and he showcases his voice. Rod says that when he eventually dies he hopes to go to heaven, and leave the difficulties of life behind him. He is not wishing for death, but hoping that he finds peace.

“Gone Till November” follows “SoulFly”, and makes quite a statement. Any album that begins with two hits back-to-back is going to build significant excitement in fans, and that’s what Rod accomplishes here. He begins the track with a melodically gripping chorus in which he seems to claim he won’t drop another project until November (which is fair, given how prolific he is, and that his music sells so well). The verse covers a variety of struggles from dealing with haters, to his relationship with his kids, to his father’s time in prison, and how that made him feel (“…All I ever felt growing up was abandoned”). The track fades out with a perfect melodic outro layered behind his second chorus.

On “Tombstone”, Rod goes to a gospel place, layering his hums and vocal licks with a choir to create a lush and beautiful chorus. On the verse he dives into his fears and paranoia, but he releases all of the pain on the chorus. He asks to “Make sure they write the truest in the motherf***ing game/ On my tombstone when they bury me”, going back to the theme of “SoulFly”, moving on from his pain to find undying peace. It is a haunting track, but it does not feel sad when taken as a man trying to live his best life and finally find himself.

Source: @rodwave

“Street Runner” is a bit of a more mournful take on Rod’s previous hit “Letter From Houston” (which is a must listen if you haven’t heard it). He describes the strain of being in love while being a touring artist. He seems to resent himself for not making enough time for his girlfriend and not doing better for her. He still wants her, but he accepts that her frustration is valid and strives to see it through her eyes (“She say I love you, but don’t trust you, can’t change you”). He does amazing lyrically, but the song is also the sonic standout of the project. It samples a sped up and pitched up version of Ruth B’s “Mixed Signals”, which proves to be the perfect, haunting backdrop for Rod’s powerful vocals. With the drifting keys and booming 808s, the beat fills out nicely, but leaves Rod a lot of space to play with his vocals. It ends with a long voice mail from what is presumably the perspective of Rod’s ex-girlfriend, who expresses that she misses him and still cares about him. It is a nice touch, and completes the emotional experience.

“Pillz and Billz” is a strong take on a topic that is often covered in a corny way. Rod, as a highly successful rapper, a young Black man who has struggled with depression and drug use, and a person who knows the streets but has a deeply vulnerable soul, is the perfect voice to speak on how depression, fame, and drug use fuel and destroy each other. On this track Rod Wave talks about the story of a rapper who is struggling mentally and turns to drugs even though he is rich and famous. On the chorus he belts, “Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you drugs”, highlighting a story we often hear. Especially with the passing of major stars like Lil Peep, Mac Miller, Juice Wrld, and more due to drug overdose, this message hits home, and Rod uses his voice to build awareness and understanding rather than to pass judgement.

Rod is the perfect example of a famous entertainer who lives life by his own rules, and does it in the right way. He is not rejecting social norms to lean into newfound privilege, instead rejecting the inauthentic parts of his new life. He is not going to write a happy song because his label thinks it would sell well. He is not going act like he’s friends with a lot of people in the rap game when he’s not. He’s not going to tell the world he’s ok when he’s hurting. He is not going to act like he is not motivated by making money. He’s not going to act like he has it all figured out. All he is here to do is enjoy making his music and releasing his pain to the world, and he is going to make sure he makes the money to support the people he loves while doing it. In his own words from his title track “SoulFly”, “So much that came with all this fame, but I remain the same”. Rod Wave is not perfect, but his music is meaningful, and his spirit is admirable. He doesn’t want you to listen unless you are drawn to him and his music, and that’s exactly why you should listen.

Check out SoulFly on Spotify HERE

Thank you for reading! Please follow us on instagram @moonlxtemelodies, on twitter @Moonlxtemels, and on tiktok @moonlxtemelodies.

ICYMI: Music We Can’t Let You Miss

This series (In Case You Missed It) covers recent songs/projects that have been out for a few weeks, but you still have time to catch!

By Ben Leshan

Songs

Real As It Gets- Lil Baby feat. EST. Gee

Source: @lilbaby

Lil Baby has ascended to be one of the biggest names in all of hip hop, but he’s proving he can be even bigger. It has become abundantly clear that Baby is NOT a mumble rapper, he is a bonafide hit maker and slept on lyricist. On “Real as it Gets” Baby goes in from the jump, building a catchy chorus and coming with bar after bar. The beat knocks from the start, with a bouncy melody, strong drums, and an energetic feel that keeps the track flowing. The entire song is a flex, as Baby paints a picture of a true rap star, a man who deserves his respect both in the streets and in the rap game. He is calculated with the bars, peppering his verse with slick wordplay and impressive references.

EST Gee’s verse is an incredibly pleasant surprise. The Louisville rapper has not done huge numbers on his own music (yet), but he has proven to be one of the world’s most exciting new rappers in the last few months. Fans might know him from his feature on fellow Louisville star Jack Harlow’s “Route 66”, a sleeper hit from Jack’s December album That’s What They All Say. Gee has a unique voice that lends itself both to lyricism and club-type tracks, as his deep tone and unplaceable accent are unforgettable. On his verse here he proves that he can truly rap. His flow is a beautiful contrast to Baby’s, and he is calmly confident. He doesn’t need to scream that’s he’s winning because he knows he is. He makes the listener believe every word, as he says “Still got my block if the music don’t crack/ Really livin’ what I rap”. Overall, “Real as it Gets” is a phenomenal single, and the best of Baby’s recent work. With his last single “On Me” working up an incredible buzz, Baby really has the potential to rule the charts this year.

Since it’s release on March 4th, “Real As It Gets” has accumulated over 12 million streams on Spotify and over 14 million on YouTube, and it keeps building momentum. These numbers illustrate how Lil Baby’s music sells well in nearly every circle of rap fandom, something that should keep him at the top of the game. “Real As It Gets” definitely has the energy and the vibe to be one of the hip hop cuts that dominates the summer, so keep an eye out for Lil Baby to do even bigger things going forward.

Scary Hours 2- Drake

Source: @Champagnepapi

Drake is back with the second edition of Scary Hours, a follow up to the 2018 release of “God’s Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity” that came before his highly successful album Scorpion. This time he comes with 3 records, the Maneesh and Supah Mario produced “What’s Next”, “Wants and Needs” featuring Atlanta star Lil Baby, and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” featuring Rick Ross. The first two songs are clearly built to be hits. Drake comes with his classic quotable bars and catchy choruses over hard 808s and earworm production melodies. On “Wants and Needs” the star of the show might just be Baby’s verse though, as he goes in, showcasing his lyricism and bravado while riding the beat perfectly. Baby already had one of 2020’s biggest albums with My Turn, but with the release of “Wants and Needs” and “Real as it Gets”, both of which have top ten hit potential, the Atlanta rapper looks like he might live up to his most quotable bar from Wants and Needs, “I’m not a GOAT but I fit the description”. “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” is in many ways the standout because it is quite different from the other two tracks. Boi-1da produced on the track, and the vocal sample and unique drums immediately draw the listener in. The track is perhaps most reminiscent of Ross’s 2019 song “Gold Roses” , which also features elite lyricism and long verses from Rozay and Drake. Ross begins with his verse, and from the first bar, “Godfather with a garden full of snakes” it’s clear that Rozay did not come to play around on this track. Drake’s verse comes in after a small vocal break where the sample plays. It seems to never end, going on for about 4 minutes, but somehow he still leaves the listener wanting more.

One of Drake’s biggest trademarks is his propensity for quotable bars (he’s known as the king of instagram captions) and he showcased that talent on these three records. On “What’s Next” he provides memorable bars on the chorus, rapping, “Well, summer, all I did was rest, okay?/ And New’s Year’s, all I did was stretch, okay?/ And Valentine’s Day I had sex okay?”. On “Wants and Needs” the very first bar is a perfect caption;”Leave me out the comments, leave me out the nonsense”, and finishing up the verse with an allusion to his rap nemesis, “Yeah, I should probably go link with Yeezy, I need me some Jesus”. It’s also notable that “Wants and Needs” begins with Drake rapping against the beat instead of in a traditional pocket, an impressive flex of flow technique. “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” comes with the hardest bars of the three song pack. In his long verse he makes many references; to his iconic class photo, to NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, to his mentor and friend Lil Wayne, to former Toronto Raptor and current San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan, and to the airline Air Canada. This verse is Drake being Drake, a mix of cultural awareness, intense confidence, and a myriad of references and quotables. For any Drake fan, this verse is a winner. Even though Drizzy pushed back the release of his Certified Lover Boy album from February, this three song pack signals good things going forward for the 6 God.

Drake made history with this drop on the March 13th Hot 100, seeing the songs land at 1, 2, and 3 on the chart. Even for a constant chart-topper like Drizzy, that was a big achievement. Even though the records have seen a significant drop in their second chart week, “What’s Next” and “Wants and Needs” still sit in the top ten, and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” has the feeling of a lasting quality cut rather than a chart dominator. Whatever the case, the three songs have already been streamed a combined 135 million times, and Drake is not slowing down ahead of Certified Lover Boy.

Serotonin- girl in red

Source: @girlinred

Girl in red (stylized girl in red) is one of the most exciting young voices in alternative music. She dives into youth, queer identity, and mental illness with a fresh and pragmatic take that is highly relatable for young audiences. The Norwegian singer songwriter is proudly herself, but she also is fine to let people into the process of finding herself. She has a lilting soft voice that is deceptively powerful in big moments, and immense talent with lyrics and concepts. She is profoundly artistic and experimental, and it translates very well to the music.

“Serotonin” is a no doubter, a hit on first listen, and an early candidate for one of the best songs of the year. The guitar melody hits from the beginning, and drops out as girl in red’s voice comes to the forefront with the first chorus. The song is built on contrast between what is pretty and soft and what is edgy and hard. The chorus’s are mainstream, anthemic, and clean, while the verses have edgy bass and vocal distortion. The concept on the chorus is simple, as she sings “I’m running low on serotonin/ Chemical imbalance got me twisting things”. Serotonin, commonly known as a happy chemical, is the neurotransmitter that contributes to depression as it is depleted. Girl in red is calling out to all her fans who may struggle with mental illness, putting into words how it feels to live life not just sad, but depressed. The chorus though, doesn’t sound like depression, it sounds like a lifting moment, a high of sorts, a separation from the pain. The verses though, are a sonic and lyrical representation of anxiety. She begins the second verse singing, “I get intrusive thoughts/ Like burning my hair off/ Like hurting somebody I love”. For any person struggling with their mental health, especially any young person in the modern world, the song is bound to be relatable. It’s a musical and emotional masterpiece, and a profound expression of what life feels like with mental illness.

Since its March 3rd release, “Serotonin” has hit 7.5 million streams on Spotify. It is poised to possibly overtake some of her biggest hits, and it is definitely a song to get on now before it completely blows up. Girl in red’s debut album If I Could Make It Go Quiet will be out April 30th, and the song should see a significant uptick in popularity with its release.

Last Night- Tom The Mail Man

Source: @tomthemailman

Tom The Mail Man is one of the best living embodiments of the future of music. The Atlanta artists molds hip hop, rock, lo-fi, and rnb sounds into his work, and has quietly and prolifically created quite a catalog of music over the last few years. His influences include other artists who have had massive success bouncing between genres like Drake and XXXTentacion. He is a part of the new generation of music makers that are directly influenced by previous genreless music to make something the world has never heard before. His emotion is raw but his musicality is flawless. He gets lost in the songs and brings out emotions the listener didn’t know they had.

On “Last Night”, Tom sings over a catchy guitar melody and rock production. The sample is actually a Foo Fighters sample, which seems like it would be hard to clear, but Foo Fighters’ founder Dave Grohl personally liked the song enough to let Tom use it. On the record Tom builds up perfectly to an emotional crescendo, singing more cleanly until he finally lets out broken screams at the track’s darkest moment, and returning back to the catchy chorus to end it. The line he screams the loudest “How is everybody okay?/ When all everyone does is f***in’ roleplay” hits like a punch. It is a personal and concise take on the way it feels to live in a world that cares more about image than character. The song as a whole is deeply emotional and thoughtfully crafted, a hallmark of Tom’s music. The song touches on common themes in alternative hip hop made by the youth, most notably struggles with heartbreak, substance use, and mental illness. Right now he still occupies an alternative space as he makes his way from the underground to the mainstream, but Tom The Mail Man has the potential to write and sing mainstream hits. “Last Night” certainly feels that way.

Since its release on March 5, “Last Night” has hit over 300,000 streams on Spotify. Tom has multiple records with well over a million streams, and this one seems to be headed to join the club. If it catches more mainstream traction in the coming months, we could see “Last Night” really take off.

“i walk this earth all by myself”- Ekkstacy

Source: @ekkstacy

Ekkstacy, a mysterious emo rap artist with little information out about himself on the internet, quietly dropped a song that easily rivals the mainstream work of his subgenre. His earliest song on Soundcloud was released only two years ago, and he has noticeably improved since then, refining his vocal tone and techniques, working with higher quality and more experimental production, and leaning harder and harder into the emotion of his work. So far in his career he has let the music do the talking, not getting overly caught up in image. Right now he is a bit of a mystery, but that adds to the allure of his music.

“i walk this earth all by myself” is a bold cut for an emo artist first and foremost because of the production. It is bouncy, both in terms of its melody and production. The beat feels nostalgic, and understated, but also like the perfect fit. The bass and the snare pattern drive the song forward, while the key/synth melody comes in to give it a different energy. His voice sounds filtered, and quietly floats over the track, but the tone of it is unlike anything you’ve ever heard, and the raw emotion is there in spades. Stacy, as he likes to be called, is working on a high level lyrically for an artist without much music out. He does what it takes to be great in his musical space, translating complex emotions into simple and relatable phrases people will want to scream at the top of their lungs. The two minute song features just 11 lines excluding repetition, and he makes sure that each one is purposeful and powerful. This is the anthem for lonely youth, the song for anyone who is good at being alone, but wishes they weren’t. The chorus itself begins with the title of the track, “I walk this earth all by myself/ I’m doing drugs but they don’t help”. The lyrics are painfully lonely and to the point, and that means this track transmits its message perfectly.

Since its release on March 5, “i walk this earth all by myself” has accumulated almost 100,000 streams on Spotify, which is extremely impressive for a track that was released independently. It should take time, as it does for any artist to get signed, build a brand, and become a big name, but make no mistake that Ekkstacy is headed towards making big waves in the industry.

Thank you for reading! Please follow us on instagram @moonlxtemelodies, on twitter @Moonlxtemels, and on tiktok @moonlxtemelodies.

Music We’re Rocking With in 2021 Part 2

This series covers the dopest songs and projects that have dropped recently and the amazing artists behind them!

By Ben Leshan

Songs

“Calling My Phone” by Lil TJay feat. 6lack

Source: @liltjay

This has become one of the biggest songs in the U.S., and it is largely based off a buzz built on Tiktok. TJay, a 19-year-old Bronx rapper who has seen a lot of success early in his career, seems to have caught his biggest hit yet. He first broke out on YouTube and SoundCloud in 2018 with his hit song “Brothers”, and has built a lot of momentum since. This record is right in his sweet spot. A sad song over a vocal sample that allows him to show off his haunting New York voice and quotable bars. The song also seems to perfectly fit the voice of his collaborator, Atlanta RnB singer 6lack.

TJay has seen an interesting career trajectory, rising through the ranks and becoming one of the biggest names in New York with the drop of his debut album True 2 Myself. The project included many big songs including the smash hit “F.N”, which was released in August of 2019 and eventually peaked at 56 on the Billboard Hot 100. After True to Myself it seemed things were only going up for TJay, but his earl 2020 release, a drill EP entitled State of Emergency, was somewhat of a hiccup. On the project he forrayed into drill rap, a subgenre that is immensely popular in New York, but doesn’t really suit his voice. Some may have seen this as the beginning of a fall off for the young rapper, but now we see it was a small diversion, just as older Bronx star A Boogie’s International Artist project was quickly forgotten after the release of the highly successful Hoodie Szn. TJay has come with the heat in late 2020 into 2021, and it’s clear that he’s gearing up to have one of the biggest commercial releases in hip hop this year. His first three singles, “Losses”, “Move On”, and “None of Your Love” provide all the energy, heartbreak, and maturity we wanted to hear from TJay. “Calling My Phone” is not necessarily better than these other recent singles, but it has a different level of momentum due to its popularity on Tiktok. For months before its release an unreleased snippet of the chorus made its rounds on the video-sharing app, acting as the background for many-a-sad and moody video. TJay, being a member of Gen-Z himself, has a fanbase that also falls in the primary demographic for Tiktok. This crossover created a ton of hype for the brooding song, and has led to its breakout commercial success.

The song itself features a high pitched vocal sample which sings “I can’t get you out of mind” over minor keys, 808s, and soft hi-hats; production that fits both artists’ voices and the mood of the track. The song is aimed at TJay’s ex, telling her to stop trying to contact him because he is completely done with the relationship. He maintains the attitude that he is successful and doesn’t need anything from her, but the pain in his voice is clear. He is not going to come out and say that he misses her, but the subtle echo of “I can’t get you out of my mind” says a lot about his mental state. 6lack continues with the same themes from TJay’s verse, singing about moving on and finding a new girl to give his love. He sings, “Yeah, I remember days when I used to adore her/ Funny how this sh*t just flipped like a quarter”. This track seems to be a great opportunity for the underrated singer, who has been creating amazing music for years, but has rarely reached elite chart success. His verse definitely shows him to be one of the more talented artists in the game, and hopefully it draws more people to his catalog. “Calling My Phone” is clearly one of the biggest hits in the country because it matches great production with clean, pretty vocals, and a relatable message. Due to the buzz it has already caught, you can expect it to stick around at the top of the charts for a while.

“Leave Some Day” (Remix) by Kevo Muney feat. Lil Durk

Source: @kevomuney3

Memphis melodic rapper Kevo Muney is quietly rising through the ranks of the hip hop world, and this may be the song to truly put him on the map. Pooh Shiesty has recently broken out from Memphis with smash hit “Back in Blood” (which also features Chicago star Lil Durk). and Muney might be the next rapper to flip a song with a Durk feature into a hit. The song was originally released in February of 2020 and since then has racked up over 9 million streams on Spotify. The Durk remix should be able to build off the hype of the original version and reach new ears due to Lil Durk’s big name in Hip Hop. The original version is also continuing to be quite successful, but we are covering the remix as it was released this year.

Muney is a 20-year-old rapper from South Memphis. He says in his YouTube bio that he started off busking on the streets of his city, and you can hear in his music that he certainly has the unique and powerful voice necessary to draw in a crowd. He is able to belt over melodic trap production, and his vocal tone immediately draws in the listener. His deep voice and vocal inflections are reminscent of Alabama rapper Yung Bleu, but it is more powerful and gospel, similar to rising North Carolina star Morray (who we covered in our 12 Artists to Watch in 2021). Muney seems to get completely lost in the emotion of the music, belting out runs and painful lyrics over guitars, keys, hard-hitting snares, and 808s. He references God on the track, and he certainly seems to create a religious experience through his music. The chorus features beautiful vocals and the line “We all gotta leave some day, and that’s the scariest thing”. The vulnerability is an interesting take on trap music that we have seen from numerous melodic trap rappers in recent years, but Muney does it really well, and he is unique enough to stand out. Durk proves to be a great feature on the song, as the beat perfectly fits his voice. On his verse Durk taps into his vulnerability as well, rapping lines like “I’m traumatized by all these bodies getting dropped now”. He gives a classic verse in his style that provides legitimacy to Muney, in that he has one of the GOATs of his style on a track with him. Muney though, makes a strong bid to outshine Durk, as his voice is more powerful, and vulnerability is more intense and unorthodox. He sounds like a star on the track, and it seems clear this song is going to do big things.

“Overdrive” by Conan Gray

Source: @conangray

Conan Gray broke out in a huge way last year with his album Kid Krow and smash hits “Maniac” and “Heather”, and now he’s back with more great music. The 22-year-old from Texas seems like a soft-spoken, thoughtful, and emotional person in his day-to-day life, but on the mic he is a commanding presence. He has built a following through emotional and relatable tracks about relationships, but he has the potential to be a true pop star. His voice hits high notes perfectly and has a unique and valuable tone. He finds a way to weave lines that hit you in the heart into songs that are hits purely based on what they are doing sonically. Don’t be surprised to see him solidify himself as one of the biggest acts in popular music this year.

On “Overdrive” Gray sings about falling quickly into an exciting relationship. It has the energy of The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” (not that it will go THAT big) in that the 80s synths and high energy drums feel as though the track is speeding through the chaos of the night. The song immediately screams pop radio with its big sounds and anthem feel. The verses feature soft bouncing chords that build into shimmering synths as the chorus drops. The track is designed to build anticipation in the right moments and get you hooked on the infectious chorus. In other words, it is an undeniable hit on first listen, and it seems highly unlikely that it doesn’t see immense commercial success. Fan’s of Gray might see this as one of his less emotionally powerful tracks, but it is definitely a necessary part of his catalog. Just as “Maniac”, an excellent dance/radio track, paved the way for the soft and emotional “Heather” to go viral on TikTok, “Overdrive” has the potential to push him to even higher levels of fame before the release of his next album, which is bound to include more “Heather”-like tracks. Overall this feels like a big moment in further solidifying Gray’s stardom, and one that music fans everywhere should not miss.

“Red Sky” by Trippie Redd feat. Machine Gun Kelly

Source: @trippieredd

Trippie Redd is a rap superstar, but he has always been obsessed with rock music. The 21-year-old Ohio artist has had many big rap hits, but he definitely has the potential to create rock hits as well. His iconic screams and use of guitars throughout his catalog lean more to the rock side, but usually he has stuck more to trap rock sounds, using trap drums and 808s with rock-leaning vocals and guitars. There are plenty of examples of his rock-leaning tracks like “How You Feel” from 2018’s Life’s a Trip or his feature on Iann Dior’s hit “Gone Girl”. Now with the release of Neon Shark vs. Pegasus, the deluxe for his 2020 album Pegasus, presented by Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, he has finally created a body of work fully committed to rock sounds and live drums. He actually released the first single for the deluxe last summer, “Dreamer”. The track has seen good commercial success so far, and it sits towards the top of Trippie’s discography in terms of quality. This is not a perfect album, but there are strong elements to every song. It could even be possible that we see the deluxe perform commercially at a level that competes with the album itself. Generally, for Trippie fans, it is exciting to hear him on this kind of production, as he has been teasing a rock project for years without putting it out. This release truly proves that Trippie has a great voice for this space and could do more work outside of Hip Hop if he wants.

On “Red Sky” Trippie sits perfectly in his rock pocket. He uses his screams in moderation to create big moments, and manipulates his unique tone to create contrast. He is loud and aggressive at times, but also leans into his softer and prettier tones in other places to bring out the emotion of the track. The guitars feel like the perfect backdrop, and Travis Barker’s drum talents are used incredibly well. Trippie Redd and MGK have worked together successfully on multiple occassions on songs like “Candy”, “All I Know”, and now “Pillbreaker” from this deluxe. Beyond the two vocalists’ chemistry, MGK and Barker (who plays drums throughout the project) have proven to be magic together on many occasions, especially on Kelly’s number one album Tickets to My Downfall. MGK and Trippie work together perfectly on this song, neither outshining the other, but both coming together to create a cohesive vision. On “Red Sky” they explore the emotions of losing a person you really wanted. The lyrics are dark and sad as many Trippie and MGK songs are, and they build to a longing release on the chorus. Trippie sings “Life’s full of lies and then you damn die” in the first verse, going to a dark place before the chorus hits with heavy electric guitars and Barker’s drums. Trippie’s voice is softer as he delivers the first line of the chorus, but he taps into his pain as he sings “You bring me above”. The chorus is definitely the highlight of the song, and truly shows what Trippie is capable of as a rock artist. MGK’s verse is also dark and cynical, but it fits the mood perfectly. Overall, this is a great rock track that could become a major standout in Trippie Redd’s catalog.

Project Spotlight

Judas and the Black Messiah– Film Soundtrack

Fred Hampton speaks (Source: BlackPast)

Judas and the Black Messiah is a film following FBI informant William O’Neal’s betrayal of Illinois Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton. It was released to theaters on February 12. The film has been lauded by critics, but its soundtrack also warrants critical acclaim. Upon first glance, this soundtrack is loaded with big name artists. Some of the best rappers of all time jump off the page: Nas, Jay-Z, Rakim, and Black Thought. The late great Nipsey Hussle is featured. Modern rap stars like A$AP Rocky, Lil Durk, Polo G, G Herbo, JID, and Pooh Shiesty are also included. And then some big names in RnB like H.E.R., SiR, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Kiana Ledé. This soundtrack is not just star studded though, it’s high quality.

The obvious stand out track on the project is “What it Feels Like” by Nipsey Hussle featuring Jay-Z. The bones of the song are a classic Nipsey song. It has all the bravado and west coast sauce of a Victory Lap track (his 2018 Grammy-nominated album), but the consciousness of the mature community advocate Nipsey was before his death in 2019. The Jay verse was clearly added quite recently, as it references the Capitol Riots, but even though the two didn’t craft the song together in the studio, it still flows cohesively. Hov gives an immaculate verse, as he tends to do, giving us elite wordplay and careful messaging. It is reminiscent of his verse on Meek Mill’s “What’s Free”, which is easily one of the best verses in the last five years. His bars are current and beautifully crafted. He states, “You let them crackers storm your capitol, but they feet up on your desk/ And yet you talkin’ tough to me, I lost all my little respect”. He goes on to address Fred Hampton, the man who inspired the movie, rapping “I arrived on the day Fred Hampton got mur-, hol’ up/ Assassinated just to clarify further”. This is a powerful statement; that law enforcement’s killing of Hampton was not a “justifiable homicide” as it was legally ruled, but a political and tactical move to remove him and his ideas from the world. Even though Jay’s assertion here has come to be widely accepted, it is an important one nonetheless because Fred Hampton is often left out of curriculums, and the FBI’s killing of a young man trying to improve opportunities for Black people on a systemic level is a perfect example of American law enforcement protecting white supremacy instead of protecting their citizens.

The project has many standouts beyond “What it Feels Like”. There is “Fight For You”, where H.E.R. uses her captivating voice to tackle the topic of freedom. There is “EPMD” by all-time great Nas. “Rich N**** Problems”, where A$AP Rocky explores what it’s like to be a rich and successful Black man in America. “Contagious” by rising RnB stars SAFE and Kiana Ledé is less of a standout for its message, but it sounds like a hit. “Last Man Standing” by Polo G is an all-around great record with high replay value and hard-hitting lyrics. Polo faces racism, police brutality, gang violence, and poverty directly with lines like, “Jealous of my melanin, what make you human more than me?” and “Them babies starving; their parents can’t even afford pampers/ no wonder why it’s hustle or die, and clap hammers”. He manages to weave commentary on cultural appropriation, systemic racism, economic injustice, and the reasons for gang violence into these few bars, and the entire track tackles critical issue after issue. Finally, “Revolutionary” by Chicago star G Herbo and legend Bump J is easily the most underrated song on the project. The track is a bit more understated and low tempo than some of the others, but the Hit-Boy production, featuring soft drums and a clean vocal sample, provides the perfect beat for the two MCs to go in. Herbo, who is at his roots a drill rapper, proves that he is still one of the most lyrical rappers in the game with intricate wordplay like, “Locked and loaded up with rounds of protection/ Profound with aggression, you found us on Essex”. The presence of Bump J on the track is a commentary on mass incarceration in itself, as the 41-year-old Chicago rapper lost the prime of his career to a ten year prison sentence for armed-robbery. His verse is also excellent, tying in themes of street codes and the flaws of the legal system.

Overall, Judas and the Black Messiah has put together an excellent soundtrack to match the themes of the film. Full of Chicago artists and some of the other biggest voices in music right now, the soundtrack puts in the work to represent the legacy of Fred Hampton. We only mentioned some of the songs as standouts, but every song truly has stand-alone value. This project is an important listen for anyone, and we encourage non-Hip Hop fans to still listen and do their own research about Fred Hampton. We have linked some resources below:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/12/04/police-raid-that-left-two-black-panthers-dead-shook-chicago-changed-nation/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fred-Hampton

Thank you for reading! Follow us on Instagram @moonlxtemelodies and on twitter @MoonlxteMels for more about your favorite music!

Also Check out our other recent articles:

Music We’re Rocking With in 2021 Part 1

12 Artists to Watch in 2021

Music We’re Rocking With in 2021 Part 1

This series covers the dopest songs and projects that have dropped recently and the amazing artists behind them!

By Ben Leshan

Songs

“Gravity” by Brent Faiyaz, DJ Dahi feat. Tyler, The Creator

Source: @brentfaiyaz

Now this is what we call a fantastic song. To any RnB fan in 2021, Brent Faiyaz is one of the biggest names you can bring up. From his phenomenal vocal performance on GoldLink’s Grammy-nominated song “Crew”, to his highly successful 2020 project “F*ck the World”, to his monster 2020 hit “Dead Man Walking”, Brent has been on quite a run. He has one of the most unique and magical voices in the general, and he uses it with so much precision and skill on every track. “Gravity” is a funky and soulful effort that immediately catches your ear. It has immense replay value and features an excellent verse by cult-favorite and mainstream star Tyler, The Creator. Tyler is less experimental and aggressive than he is on most tracks here, but he finds his pocket and delivers a verse that perfectly rounds out the song. The two feel like a dynamic duo who could easily produce a successful EP together.

“Gravity” takes the appeal of 90s RnB love songs and packages it in a much sleeker and elevated sonic landscape. Essentially Brent has taken the fun of an RnB song you can sing along to, and made it the least corny and most suave thing you could possibly blast in your car. It is a soulful call out to the girl who held Brent down, but who he just can’t be with anymore. Brent’s attitude on the track is rather heartless, as his attitude usually is, but the beauty in his voice, the precision of his wordplay, and the danceability of DJ Dahi’s production make it a fun song. Whether you choose to truly listen to what he is saying, or just vibe, this song is an enjoyable listen. For anyone who likes hip hop but doesn’t always foray into RnB, this is a perfect song to add to your collection. You have the slick wordplay, the Tyler verse, all of the sauce of a Brent track, and it stays away from traditional RnB. That doesn’t mean this isn’t excellent song for a pure RnB fan either. In any case, Brent Faiyaz has become one of the biggest names from the DMV and carved out a great space in the music industry, and “Gravity” is an excellent showcase of his talents.

“Night Like This” by Daydream Masi

Source: @daydreamasi

Daydream Masi is an artist we very well could have covered in our artists to watch for 2021, and this song makes us wish we did. Masi’s voice is clear and full, floating cleanly over anthemic production. He taps into the emotional depth of love and the angst of youth over the backdrop of a party experience. This track is cinematic, and it oozes potential.

Masi, an artist in his early 20s hailing from Akron, OH, is a genre-bending sensation capable of creating versatile, emotional, and experimental music. He is funky and psychadelic to a certain extent, but he has a voice that could make it big in pop music. He, like many young artist, is clearly not constrained by the rules, and likes to play around with a lot of new and interesting sounds. His first big rise into the mainstream came when his song “Favorite Drug” was feautred on Netflix’s 13 Reasons’s Why in 2019. It is an energetic and summery track that showcases a lot of potential, but he has grown since then. At over 6 million plays, it is his biggest song on spotify, but “Night Like This” has amassed hundreds of thousands of plays since it’s release on January 22nd, and definitely has the chance to become his biggest song.

The track starts out with a strumming guitar and clean and clear vocals from Masi. As it builds, we get a secondary melody in the production, and the percussion comes in. The chorus hits hard with heavy snares after a drum fill. With layered vocals Masi creates an anthemic chant of chorus, one that should translate very well to live performance once that is possible again. He creates an emotional moment that is an ode to embracing imperfections and living in the moment with another person. Masi seems like an artist to jump on now before everyone is talking anout him and “Nights Like This” seems to be the perfect song to use when putting your friends onto his music.

“GNF (OK OK OK)” by Polo G

Source: @polo.capalot

Polo G is clearly one of the very top young rappers in hip hop. He has two phenomenal projects under his belt in 2019’s Die a Legend and 2020’s The Goat, and his versatility is top tier. On this track, Polo comes with straight up, in your face, Chicago Drill music. For fans of his recent work, this may be a bit of a surprise (as he’s gone viral for more mellow tracks like “Martin & Gina”), but Polo’s roots are in drill. When he was just a teenager fresh off of jail time, he went viral for drill songs like “Neva Cared” before he truly broke into the mainstream with the emotional “Finer Things”. He has found his voice with melodic tracks about his pain and love, but there is still a big market for drill Polo.

“GNF” came with a Cole Bennett video that quickly rose to the top of the Youtube trending charts. The Chicago video director is still one of the most influential hip hop tastemakers of his generation, and Polo has firmly earned Cole and Lyrical Lemonade’s cosign. The video, like anything Cole Bennett makes, is incredibly intricate and full of special effects. It is a great way to be introduced to the song if you have never heard it before.

Polo does not come lightly on this song, dropping bars like “If all of them die, I’m ok with that” and “Walk up and make sure that his brains splat” over hard hitting piano chords and 808s. It is a pure drill song, and that was clearly his intention. After the success of “Go Stupid” last year, an aggressive single with violent lyrics that went viral on tiktok, Polo seems to have used that formula again, releasing a less-emotional and more aggressive song as one of his singles. Polo grew up in the Marshall Field Garden housing projects of Chicago’s Northside, and he has been surrounded by drill music since the rise of Chief Keef and his crew in the early 2010s. It only makes sense for him to embrace his roots, and it gives him a very unique skillset as one of rap’s brightest young stars. He is truly just as good at screaming out heartless and aggressive bars as he is at subtly crooning for a lover or crafting thoughtful metaphors about social justice, and that makes Polo special. At just 22, Polo G has seen immense commercial success, and “GNF (OK OK OK)” seems to be the next hit to be added to a long list of his musical successes.

Project Spotlight

Brent ii by Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker

Source: @chelseacutler

Cutler and Zucker are already both big names in the pop music world, and they are continuing to ascend. They have been rumored to be dating, but they say they are just really good friends. Either way, the emotional and musical connection they share is evident in the songs they have created together. Both make soft and emotional music about love, loss, and growth. They have sweet voices and are careful with their lyrics. Together, they make beautiful music on Brent ii, a 5 song EP, and a sequel to their highly successful 2019 effort Brent (which features mega hit “You Were Good to Me”). Dropped at beginning of February, Brent ii is already seeing significant commercial success, especially with its lead single, “This is How You Fall in Love”. One of the biggest themes in the project is nostalgia; the emotional nuances of a past completely lost but a present that must be grasped. Their voices float quietly over production that evokes rainy days and fading memories. Zucker and Cutler’s vocals are steady, but their voices break subtly at just the right moments to break your heart as you listen along.

There are three songs that feature both artists, and one solo song for each of them. Of the five, there are certainly no skips, and each brings its unique value to the EP. The first is “This is how you fall in love” a soft and deeply sweet ode to the person you love. The song references slow dancing in the chorus, and it seems to be the perfect track for young lovers to dance to alone to in an empty parking lot or under the dim lights of a small apartment. The slow dancing metaphors tie it all together and the acoustic production featuring guitars, strings, kicks, and cymbals builds to a beautiful moment at the end. The next track, “Parent Song” should hit home for any older teen or young 20 something navigating the changes in a parent-child relationship that come with independence and adulthood. On “Emily” they explore the heart-wrenching pain of falling out of love. The production fills in at the chorus only to dropout for the last line, as Zucker sings “In Paris you asked me if I was afraid that we’d fall out of love. Would that be ok, Emily?”. It is a striking emotional moment, and likely the reason why this track is the significant commercial favorite of the non-singles.

Each of their individual songs is quite powerful as well. On “Brooklyn Boy”, Zucker creates a soft love song that builds to an edgy electronic climax. Cutler’s “The Stars” is our sleeper favorite of the project, a soft and pretty love song about being fated to be together. The lines of the song hit home for any young person looking to be loved (“I like the way I look in your sweatshirt. And being told I am enough”). Cutler’s unique tone, a feature of her music that consistently takes it to a new level, cuts beautifully over the soft muted horns of the chorus. Everything from the lyrics to the production creates a gentle and relatable atmosphere that is bound to draw people in. Overall Brent ii is a very well crafted cohesive project. It is just a snapshot of what these two artists are capable of, but it certainly makes us excited for their coming solo work and any songs they may make together in the future.

Thank you for reading! Follow us on Instagram @moonlxtemelodies for more about your favorite music!

12 Artists to Watch in 2021

12 up-and-coming artists you need to know for the new year, and the best tracks to introduce you to their catalogs.

By Ben Leshan

Source: @Aries

Aries

Where to start: Fool’s Gold, Santa Monica

Aries got his start producing and singing on YouTube. His low-key vibe and dry sense of humor are immediately engaging, but it was his musical genius that quickly gained him a following. His debut effort, Welcome Home, is wildly consistent and well-put-together. Aries has smart metaphors and creative melodies that beg another listen in every record. As a producer, he has a great command over the buildup of each track, allowing each one to exist independently as a hit. He is not bound by genre, only emotion and energy. He creates everything from anthems, to ballads and does so masterfully. There are elements of rock, hip hop, indie, electronica, and emo music in his songs, but he never settles to stay in one place. Aries does not just rely on vocal talent, instead creating an exciting sound and can’t-miss vibe through production, tone, and emotion. Each song is its own masterpiece. He has released two singles in recent months, one of which being the high-energy, rock-leaning “Fool’s Gold”. His recent releases suggest more music is to come, and it is clear that he is gearing up for huge things in 2021.

Source: @jeandawsn

Jean Dawson

Where to start: Triple Double, Bruiseboy

Jean Dawson has an incredibly unique and ear catching sound that is ready to take the world by storm. The alt-pop rockstar has quite a unique background (his vibe matches with the adolescence he spent in So Cal, but he spent his earlier years in Tijuana), and a lot to bring to the music world. Dawson has the aesthetic of a Soundcloud rapper, with grills and colorful dreads, but his music is so far from the style often associated with his look. His songs blend punk, electronic music, hip hop, and experimental sounds. He is yet to have a mainstream hit, but his body of work shows huge potential. His 2020 album Pixel Bath is a very strong record that moves all over the musical map. Throughout the record Dawson is socially conscious, energetic, and cuts straight to the point. He makes music to riot to, music to dance to, and music to live and die to, and he does it all unapologetically. He explores the complexity of identity, the angst of youth, the wonderment of freedom, and the frustration of confusion we all feel, and captures it all so well in purely emotional music. He is often dark and moody in his lyrics, yet his voice and production are full of life. He is the genre-less melodic artist that has can’t-miss appeal for Gen Z and 2020s culture. Jean Dawson might just be music’s next star before you know it.

Source: @rinasonline

Rina Sawayama

Where to Start: Lucid, XS

Rina Sawayama has a soaring breathy voice and a knack for creating pop hits. Her background inspires intrigue, as she earned a Political Science degree from Cambridge before pursuing her music career. Her clever, energetic, and rebellious spirit is evident in her music, and it makes every track an exciting listen. Sawayama embraces a wide spectrum of sounds and vibes on her eponymous 2020 effort Sawayama. She never stays in one box, making electro pop full of the energy of youth and angry nu-metal records on the same album.You can hear pop stars like Ariana Grande and Charli XCX in her sound, the latter of whom Sawayama shared a tour with. The London artist may be willing to experiment with everything, but she remains consistent with her depth and artistry throughout her catalog. She is not the pop singer who makes records to sell them (even though her music certainly does sell well), but rather one who you can truly believe is in it for the integrity of the art. 

Source: @contradash

Contradash

Where to start: White Lie, Blocked

Contradash is writing the alt-pop hits of tomorrow. The 22 year old from Southern California has caught many ears as he looks to be a genre-bending sensation. He explores love and relationships gracefully on bouncy yet minimal pop production. Bringing in elements of hip hop and rock, Dash blends the chill vibes of the West Coast and the energy of youth. The tone of his voice is unmistakable, and when he hops on a track you are bound to start singing along. His debut project All Star shows remarkable consistency and song-writing ability for a debut. His songs are short, and the production is catchy yet far from grand, but his voice and style have undeniable hit potential. His breakout track, “Blocked”, is a great example of this: a modern breakup song that is bouncy enough to dance to, relatable enough to really listen to, and sonically pleasing enough to get stuck in your head. Contradash is only going up from here, as he only signed to Interscope after independently releasing two singles in 2020, and he is poised for big things in 2021.

Source: @kennyhoopla

KennyHoopla

Where to start: How Will I Rest In Peace If I’m Buried By a Highway?//, Estella//

KennyHoopla makes dark rock music that you have no choice but to listen to. The Cleveland-born artist started in his late teens on Soundcloud, but he is finally making waves in the mainstream. His sound is emotional, raw and transformative. The pain in his voice always hits home. Hoopla is never afraid to let his voice break so his listener can truly hear the emotion behind his lyrics. He is almost excited to take his listener to an uncomfortable place, but he allows them to learn and grow, lean into their emotions, and ultimately finish the song feeling better than before they started. KennyHoopla is a rockstar for the next generation. His debut EP How Will I Rest In Peace If I’m Buried By a Highway?// is often dark and brooding, but allows you to jump around to the anger and pain of life on the single that shares its name. Meanwhile, his new single with Travis Barker, Estella//, is more of an upbeat and traditional take on the same style. These efforts prove him to be an exciting new voice, showing major versatility and talent. He can make dark and moody rock songs great for a late night drive, but he can also make upbeat anthems that you want to dance to with abandon. KennyHoopla is certainly an artist to watch going into 2021.

Source: @arlo.parks

Arlo Parks

Where to Start: Caroline, Eugene

Arlo Parks pieces together poetic stories over lo-fi production, all using her wonderfully recognizable floating tone. Growing up in London, Parks felt like an outsider as an awkward, queer, Black woman. You can hear her quiet bravery in the music and her voice, which is soft and breathy, but refuses to fade into the background. Many of her songs feel like a pleasant rainy day with an ominous side, her vocals being the only thing that can cut through the muddled darkness. You can hear the influence of Earl Sweatshirt in her tracks, as her raw and open lyrics drift over experimental lo-fi production. She weaves stories of relationship and identity that are bound to hit home for many-a-listener. Parks is a singer-songwriter with a story to tell, and her haunting melodies and relatable stories should bring her even more success in 2021.

Source: @morrayda1

Morray

Where to Start: Quicksand, Dreamland

Morray’s vocals are the type that immediately catch your ear. Growing up in J Cole’s hometown of Fayetteville, NC, Morray sang his Church choir, and that kind of vocal experience is obvious on his records. He has the kind of power and vocal ability you rarely hear on a Hip Hop track. It is truly impressive, as evidenced by the cosign he received from Cole himself. Morray tells stories of pain and trauma over trap beats, singing them with raw emotion and using ear worm flows. He has much of the appeal of rap newcomers who have come to dominate the genre. You can hear Roddy Ricch or Rod Wave in his music; melodic rappers whose songs often take on trauma through jarring lyrics and beautiful melodies. Morray though, brings his own unique sound and energy to this style of music. His song “Quicksand” is fast becoming the hit that is capapulting his name into the mainstream. He may only have four songs out on Spotify at the moment, but that only leaves him room for growth. It seems that he has the room to carve out a nice space in hip hop in 2021.

Source: @xlovers

X Lovers

Where to Start: Too Fast, Haunt You

X Lovers are bringing indie pop into the 2020s. London (Guitar and vocals) and Jacob (Production) have been making music together for a long time. The LA-based duo have been friends since elementary school, and they work effortlessly together to create a cohesive vision. Their sound can be bouncy and energetic, but also romantic and sentimental. Their 2020 EP Mad World is a great introduction to the group, and the breakout song from the record, “Haunt You”, is a beautiful reflection on love and loss. X Lovers’ songs explore love in a radio-friendly way, but are packaged with a certain artistic integrity that makes them palatable to those who may shun pop radio. You can feel the wide range of influences that pushed two kids from California to make music. This is pop music for the next generation; music that borrows ideas from everything from hip hop to rock and combines them into hit songs. X Lovers are developing a strong catalog, and their recent work exhibits all sorts of talent that should put them in a great position to make big moves in 2021.

Source: @zoe.wees

Zoe Wees

Where to Start: Control

Zoe Wees only has one song and a feature out on Spotify, but anyone can see from a mile away that she has what it takes to be a star in the music industry. At only 18 years old, the German singer already a massive hit on her hands. Her debut single, “Control”, a pop ballad about her struggles growing up with epilepsy and anxiety, charted all over the world, and has earned over 100 million Spotify plays. On the song Wees is open and vulnerable as she thanks her primary school teacher for helping her through the struggles, belting out her feelings for the world to hear. Her powerful and emotional voice is the sort that would win a vocal contest, but her artistry clearly stretches beyond her impressive vocals. At such a young age, and with such a gripping and beautiful voice, it’s clear that Wees has so much further to go. She makes the kind of music you just can’t skip by, and Wees is the kind of artist you can expect a lot from in the future.

Source: @blxst

Blxst

Where to Start: Chosen, Overrated

Blxst has a smooth and controlled RnB voice, and a vision to mesh the classic sounds of his hometown with a new brand of soul. The South Central LA native started his career as a producer, and he still produces, mixes, masters, and even works on his videos. He has an impressive list of production credits from LA stars, working with artists from YG to Mustard to the great Kendrick Lamar, but with his recent project No Love Lost he truly stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Blxst doesn’t rely on power or the raw emotion of his voice, but rather a unique tone and command of flow. His voice lends itself to club tracks like “Chosen”, a collaboration with party music main-stays Ty Dolla $ign and Tyga, and his west coast sound gives all of his music an exciting vibe. He is not just a club artist though, as his catalog proves him to be an artist capable of tackling the depths of relationships through vulnerability. Blxst is looking like one of the most exciting new voices in the world of Hip Hop and RnB.

Source: @clintonkane

Clinton Kane 

Where to start: I Don’t Want to Watch the World End With Someone Else, Hopeless

Clinton Kane is an emotional ballad singer; a young pop voice who gets lost in pain and emotion on beautiful and touching records. The young artist grew up between the UK and Australia and learned many instruments as he grew up. Now, Kane has a mature artistic vision and an amazing ear for hit melodies. He has already collaborated with Martin Garrix, and his songs show off impressive vocals, strorytelling, and songwriting. He is clearly exceptionally talented, and quite skilled at turning pain into unforgettable art. Kane puts his personal pain, stories of breakups and arguments, into hismusic, and his vulnerability makes each song easy to connect with. Much like Lewis Capaldi, Kane uses his big voice to create grand expressions of loss and love over pop-ballad production. His music is the perfect match for young people working through the joy, the loneliness, and the heartbreak of love, and his voice has undying hit potential.

Source: @iamj.i

J.I The Prince of NY

Where to start: Need Me, Love Scars

Amidst the rise of NY drill music in the mainstream, J.I is coming out of the city with the melodic sensibilities of A Boogie wit Da Hoodie or Lil TJay. The 19-year-old Brooklyn Rapper already has many big tracks, and he has even earned a collaboration with A Boogie himself. He got his start as a young boom bap rapper on the reality show The Rap Game, but in the last year or two the rapper has found his voice and ran with it. He has a clean and unique melodic tone that flows effortlessly over minor chords and 808s. J.I can have fun, as he does on his breakout track “Need Me”, but he can also tap into his pain. On other records he explores heartbreak, struggles with vices and betrayals in the streets. He also brings another dimension to his sound as a Puerto Rican rapper, as he has experimented with Spanish language tracks. As New York Hip Hop evolves, J.I is one of the most promising leaders of the melodic sound coming from the City. He has shown himself to be much more than one of many A Boogie disciples, and he has a great opportunity to further prove himself in 2020.

Thank you for reading! Make sure to check out our instagram content @moonlxtemelodies, and please give these artists a listen before they’re the next big thing!