This year was a rare occurrence: all of the artists that made the list have albums on my top 30 albums list. This means the year was stacked with talent and it was awesome to see that women lead the way.
Here goes:
TOP OF THE CLASS:
Jamila Woods:
been around a while and with acclaim but all that has been deservedly dwarfed by her fierce project this year Legacy! Legacy! Here
we have the great tribute to pioneering black men and women.
The best of the rest:
Weyes Blood:
it takes courage to slowly find the inner voice that carries you to the direction where others in the genre are scared from going to. That's what Weyes Blood is doing right now.
Lizzo:
while some cite Lizzo-fatigue, I can't get enough of it now. No matter how you feel about her it's undeniable that her album this year deserves every plaudit and award it's getting.
Nilufer Yanya:
confidently carving out her own unique space in pop.
Koffee:
a much needed shot in the arm for how women can defy reggae/dancehall odds to provide great quality music.
Nakhane:
proving that even though forces around him tried to keep him down, with that angelic voice, he is simply soaring.
Lafawndah:
giving an otherworldly spin on pop.
King Princess:
the way she harnesses her gender fluidity into the spaces of her lyrical expression is totally for the moment.
Michael Kiwanuka:
now he'll be able to get out from under being only known as the guy who sings the intro to Big Little Lies.
Marika Hackman:
finally, a young woman singing about her unabashed queer experiences.
