2021 Media Roundup: Music
Dec. 20th, 2021 05:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabotabbyThis is gonna be short as well, because 2021 was probably the worst year ever for music for me. At least with 2020, I was actively seeking out livestreams and dancing in my kitchen pretending to be at concerts. I had tired of this by 2021, and between my podcast addiction (more on that later) and general depression there just wasn't a lot that I'd bonded with enough to buy.
That said, there was some really excellent music this year and I'd be remiss not to mention it. So here are some albums I loved in no particular order, and my pick for best album of the year.
Zeal & Ardor by Zeal & Ardor: This is Manuel Gagneux's third Zeal & Ardor album, and he's been releasing it in dribs and drabs, so every so often I get a notification that a new track has dropped. Weird. Anyway, I've talked about them before—black metal fused with Black spirituals and chain gang songs and overall one of the most innovative sounds I've ever heard.
Black Encyclopedia of the Air by Moor Mother: How do I describe Moor Mother? I'll just post her description: Low fi/dark rap/chill step/ blk girl blues/witch rap/coffee shop riot gurl songs/southern girl dittys/black ghost songs/. This album is poetic, haunting, and weird as fuck, and I'm here for it.
We Are Lady Parts Soundtrack by Lady Parts: I'm going to talk more about We Are Lady Parts when I get around to my television roundup (spoiler: it was my favourite TV show of the year), but anyway I loved the show and its soundtrack so much that I bought the album just so that I could relive the show again. Female Muslim punk rock, and it stands on its own even without the show (but watch the show).
And my favourite album of the year: Connectivity by Grace Petrie. Soulful, heartbreaking, and very much a 2021 Big Mood, Grace's lyrics are pure poetry and her songwriting has put down little claws in my auditory canal and will not budge.
In the last few months, things have gotten kind of terrible for me, emotionally, and I have only been listening to one song. Over and over again. It's the last one on the album and if I die, you can play it at my funeral before launching my corpse at the Ford government. It's that perfect. Have a listen.
Maybe you need a live version too:
That said, there was some really excellent music this year and I'd be remiss not to mention it. So here are some albums I loved in no particular order, and my pick for best album of the year.
Zeal & Ardor by Zeal & Ardor: This is Manuel Gagneux's third Zeal & Ardor album, and he's been releasing it in dribs and drabs, so every so often I get a notification that a new track has dropped. Weird. Anyway, I've talked about them before—black metal fused with Black spirituals and chain gang songs and overall one of the most innovative sounds I've ever heard.
Black Encyclopedia of the Air by Moor Mother: How do I describe Moor Mother? I'll just post her description: Low fi/dark rap/chill step/ blk girl blues/witch rap/coffee shop riot gurl songs/southern girl dittys/black ghost songs/. This album is poetic, haunting, and weird as fuck, and I'm here for it.
We Are Lady Parts Soundtrack by Lady Parts: I'm going to talk more about We Are Lady Parts when I get around to my television roundup (spoiler: it was my favourite TV show of the year), but anyway I loved the show and its soundtrack so much that I bought the album just so that I could relive the show again. Female Muslim punk rock, and it stands on its own even without the show (but watch the show).
And my favourite album of the year: Connectivity by Grace Petrie. Soulful, heartbreaking, and very much a 2021 Big Mood, Grace's lyrics are pure poetry and her songwriting has put down little claws in my auditory canal and will not budge.
In the last few months, things have gotten kind of terrible for me, emotionally, and I have only been listening to one song. Over and over again. It's the last one on the album and if I die, you can play it at my funeral before launching my corpse at the Ford government. It's that perfect. Have a listen.
Maybe you need a live version too:
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Date: 2021-12-21 01:46 pm (UTC)