5 Albums That Defined 2019 [OPINION]

2019 was undoubtedly a very eventful year for music. Taylor Swift continued her feud with music mogul Scooter Braun, Camilla Cabello and Shawn Mendes entered a romantic relationship that looks a hell of a lot like a PR stunt, and let us not forget, Billy Ray Cyrus’ unlikely and uncalled for collaboration on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” With that being said, we met a lot of new musical faces, while some veteran ones solidified themselves as some of the best artists to come out of the 2010s.     

As the decade comes to a close and everyone is wrapped up in Spotify’s “Your Decade Wrapped” (see what I did there?) campaign, let’s revisit five albums that defined 2019:

1. Igor, Tyler, the Creator

Arguably his best work to date, Tyler, the Creator bared his soul to the world with this highly conceptualized album. Igor is named after Tyler’s alter ego that appears throughout the album, which follows a love triangle narrative. Strutting a star-studded collaboration lineup, the album is Tyler’s first to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and his second album in a row to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. Tyler has finally grown into himself as an artist and it’s reflected throughout Igor’s production and storytelling.

2. Norman Fucking Rockwell, Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey returned to her dark roots and obsession with the mid-twentieth century for her highly anticipated sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell.  Throughout the record, Del Rey references some of the 1970s’ biggest bands and musicians ­– an homage of sorts to the soft, classic-rock sound the album wears. Co-produced by Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent), it’s no surprise that the album also features piano-based ballads such as “Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have – but I Have It.” The album has been nominated for two awards at the Grammys: Album of the Year and Song of the Year (“Norman Fucking Rockwell”). NFR proves that Lana definitely deserves a spot on the Best Songwriters of the Decade list.

3. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish

Not since Lorde has another teenaged pop star found success so rapidly and early on in their career. Billie Eilish is changing all of that and is making history while she does it.  Since it’s release in March, WWAFAWDWG (try saying that five times fast) has received four nominations, two of which are for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum back in September. Eilish will embark on the albums second world tour in 2020. Big things await for this girl. Make sure you’re paying attention.

4. Thank U Next, Ariana Grande

Ariana has secured her title as “Queen of Pop” with Thank U Next, and rightly so. The record was recorded in just a matter of weeks as an emotional release for Grande who at the time was dealing with the breakup from her now ex-fiancé Pete Davidson and the loss of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller. Grande has been through a lot in the past three years (see also: the Manchester Bombing) but has continuously proved that nothing can stop her. Title track “Thank U, Next” became the subject of viral memes and peaked at number one on the charts while “7 Rings” broke a Spotify record as the most-streamed song in 24 hours with 14.9 million streams globally. She really did that.

5. Cuz I Love You, Lizzo

Lizzo, Lizzo, Lizzo. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock this year, you’ve definitely heard of Lizzo. The singer/rapper/classically-trained flutist rose to stardom with her third studio album Cuz I Love You, which was mysteriously released on the same day as Netflix’s original rom-com “Someone Great,” in which the album’s “Truth Hurts” is featured. After that, the rest is history. The album blends pop, rap and R&B so beautifully it earned Lizzo two Grammy nominations in the Album of the Year and Best Urban Contemporary Album categories and won her Album/Mixtape of the Year at the Soul Train Music Awards.