Music heals, it helps us recover from a hard breakup, tunes us into the right mood and all of us who are in a long-term relationship probably have that one track that we call “our song”. That is because the music industry has entered all spheres of our life, we wake up to it, hear it in supermarkets and fall asleep with our headphones on. Our today’s list is devoted to the best music albums released in 2019. Let’s recall the top ten of them which we consider the most romantic.
Goldlink “Diaspora”
GoldLink is one of the most consistent artists of the new generation. Starting with the debut mixtape “The God Complex” (which was released in 2014), he has been experimenting with the house and rap mixing the two genres together. The album “Diaspora” is about all the same ideas, only a little more romantic and wider: here is the place for funk, and straightforward rap, and the influence of music from Latin America and Africa. This is still the best music for your summer: light, carefree and romantic. And the high authority of GoldLink allowed him to collaborate once again with his famous artist-friends like Pusha T and Tyler, the Creator. The output turned out to be one of the most enjoyable releases of the year – it does not distract your from doing your own business, like looking through the single girls gallery, but guarantees to cheer you up and give a couple of refrains, which are sure to get stuck in your head!
Lizzo “Cuz I Love You”
The album, which became a breakthrough for the singer and flutist from Detroit. “Cuz I Love You” is already the third in her discography, but not many people have heard about Lizzo before (we should stress here: her most successful hit was a song written two years ago which appealed to the publicity only now). Lizzo could be a coach for everyone who does not fit into last year’s dress or the schedule of her boyfriend’s affairs. She preaches – just like that, with ardor and passion – accepting herself, is inspired by the solemn arrangements that Prince made in the eighties, and teaches skinny models a lesson when she says that her banger is too fast for them. This album is fire, we tell you.
James Blake “Assume Form”
“Assume Form” is James Blake’s most open album. Previously, the Briton devoted songs to the throwings of the soul and the search for inner peace, he was speaking about everything and nothing at the same time. Here most of the album he talks about the relationship with his girlfriend – which is still happily continuing, so the music here is the most romantic you could ever imagine.
“Assume Form” is similar to the rest of Blake’s works. But if earlier he invited the listener to the emotional rollercoaster of his claustrophobia, fear of loneliness and depression, then “Assume Form” resembles a pleasant carousel: it does not spin too fast, is painted in eye-pleasing colors, and causes a feeling of peace. Especially the song featuring Rosalia is a true paradise lasting 3 minutes.
Lana Del Rey “Norman Fucking Rockwell”
By the end of the decade, Lana seemed to spit on all conventions and expectations at once, releasing a purely American-style album of guitar ballads with songs of five minutes or more. “Norman Fucking Rockwell”, named after the artist who recorded the American life of the 20th century, is a grand record, where all the signature features of Lana’s style (melancholy + causticity) are preserved, but all this is brought out into a new direction and now works well in the form of a big statement. he album is full of songs about difficult relationships, and the fate of feminism in the world. And if that is not enough for you, Lana has announced the release of the nest “Spoken Word” album in 2020.
Billie Eilish “when we fall asleep, where do we go?”
It’s easiest now to dump a bunch of evidence about streams and Billboard here: look, Billie did this and that the year 2019 (and in 2020 she did even more – let’s just recall her winning of the 5 Grammies!). Much more interesting would be to delve into the world of her music.
Billy Elish is not like the conventional pop stars of the present, a few years ago she would be considered an alternative artist but today her music is nothing but a global phenomenon. “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” – this is the triumph of pop minimalism and, if you like, the deconstruction of pop music to its skeleton. Her instrumental and voice dodges are sound voids in the draft, instead of rich arrangements – a dull measured beat, booming overloaded bass and ascetic synthesizers (thanks to her brother, the singer Finneas, the architect of her sound). Another thing is that her music is full of true stories about youth, love, and fear because she herself is still a teenager. The main thing that this album made clear: in 2019, pop music can work on a bare foundation, without large-scale production and become popular all over the world.
Charli XCX “Charli”
Put on the cover of the album, Charlie looks like a virtual influencer from the world of the future. An alliance with the producers of Sophie and A.G. Cook several years ago gave the singer a new impetus: her music sounded simultaneously varnished and raw; both sweet and radical. Charlie is often called the main pop futurist of the moment, and this album makes it clear why. From the “Number 1 Angel” / “Pop 2” / “Charli” trilogy, this album is really the most accessible for the listener: it is flooded with a glossy minimalistic electro-pop and traditionally filled with guests – from Tommy Cash to the rapper Cupcakke, from the HAIM group to Clairo. Their arrangements are even more stylish and ascetic (take at least the last, where the instrumental is purely industrial), and the singer herself sounds like an android.
Ariana Grande “Thank U, Next”
This album could have not happened at all: in the middle of last year, Ariana was rolling back a tour in support of the fresh “Sweetener” and getting ready for an engagement with comedian Pete Davidson. What happened then – you know: her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller passed away, the singer was very worried about this loss and even canceled the engagement. And here is an unexpected turn: a hasty mobilization of the creative form – and if not the best, then definitely worth attention and winning the charts.
It’s about how to wipe away tears, work from a position of strength and remeasure pain into hits: those that one day take the first three lines of Billboard at the same time – you definitely heard them somewhere. These songs have a very strong character: “Thank U, Next” – a grateful manifesto on the art of stepping over and moving on, “7 Rings” – an impeccable banger-glimpse of female strength, “Break up with your girlfriend” – what you have always wanted to say to your crush. The main thing: this album completed the transformation of Grande from a Disney princess into the system-forming heroine of real pop music.
Anderson .Paak “Ventura”
Andre 3000, a legendary person who selectively approaches each of his appearances in the musical space, takes part in the first song of the Ventura album. And the record of the entire release was supervised by Dr. Dre, which today rarely wastes his time on something not worth attention. And this is the best description of Anderson .Paak music. A person simply goes out to the microphone and instruments to give everyone a sunny funky groove. Absolutely non-chart, but to infinity charming and romantic music.
Kaytranada “Bubba”
The Canadian seems to have looked at the name of his last release “99.9%” and said: “And now it is time for a full 100”. Synthesizers, South American motifs, moving instrumental – Kaytranada developed his own style, which is difficult to confuse with someone else’s, and his every sound is verified. The album even starts with a short drum solo, as if the producer allows himself a little chaos to tune in to the right wave.
This is also an occasion to meet the best people on feats – from Chicago smart guy Mick Jenkins with Jamaican Masego to Kali Uchis, and our favorite Tyler, the Creator (be sure to listen to the song “10%” – this is one of the best tracks on the release). An album for those who wanted to meet the new decade in high spirits.
FKA twigs “Magdalene”
“Magdalene” is an album about the power of a woman. This is a tragic recording, inspired by the hard break up and recovery of the artist after a complex operation. Musically fancy and produced by Oneohtrix Point Never, Nicolas Jaar, Cashmere Cat, Skrillex and other people who know what tomorrow’s pop music will sound like already today. Thanks to them, the songs initially sound a little deconstructed and like the projects not completely loaded projects the sound editor, but in a few minutes they grow into something epic and heated, and finally split into marvelous and complex songs. This is finally very sexy music, performed in a biblical parable (see album name), while having the intimacy of a conversation in a whisper one on one. We are sure that the album dictates some of the music trends of 2020 a; ready now.