Our Favorite Albums of 2023 (So Far...)
Our favorites are listed here so far. We hope the second half closes out strong as the independent releases shine again.
Music has undeniably been a comforting constant in our lives, especially when conversations within the music industry have consistently turned to its therapeutic value. In a year where several anticipated major releases have underwhelmed, the less-heralded releases have shone brightly, providing musical gems in the first half of 2023. Consequently, we have opted to bypass the traditional ranking structure and instead present an unordered list of our most admired albums launched within the past six months.
Here are several guiding remarks before we proceed:
The arrangement of the albums below follows a chronological order according to their release dates.
Projects labeled by artists or their respective labels as “mixtapes” or “EPs” were excluded from consideration by our editorial panel for this compilation.
The individual preferences of diverse members of our central team influence our choices.
This list is subjective and reflects our editorial team's preferences. While we appreciate that your favorite album may not feature on our list, we would rather you share your favorites than critique our selection.
Skyzoo & The Other Guys — The Mind of a Saint
The Mind of a Saint is a concept album that takes the perspective of Franklin Saint, the lead character in the FX drama, Snowfall. It reflects attitudes of the 80s, Saint’s will to survive, and personal growth through daily interactions with those in and outside the family. Thanks to the fantastic production by The Other People that incorporates elements of golden age hip-hop and boom bap, creating an alluring cohesion of music. Skyzoo keeps the album's narrative in constant motion and never breaks character. With tracks such as "Straight Drop," "100 to One," and "Bodies!" being highlighted, this displays Skyzoo’s rawness and honesty. The experience of listening to the album may differ for those who have or haven't watched Snowfall. However, the album replicates a story of a young hustler growing to become a kingpin. — Philemon Hayes
Oddisee — To What End
The Brooklyn-based artist, originally from Washington, D.C., Oddisee, has released his 10th solo studio album, To What End. The album explores themes of ambition and pursuing goals in areas like career and personal relationships. It features personal, introspective lyrics that share insights into the artist's experiences, including discussions of work burnout and panic attacks. Not all of the album is heavy; there are lighter moments, a range of vocal features, and diverse beats created with his band, Good Company. — Harry Percy Brown
Skech185 & Jeff Markey — He Left Nothing for the Swim Back
He Left Nothing for the Swim Back epitomizes this unconventional approach that artists who embrace originality, innovatively create music that stands distinct from the common offerings. This synergistic effort between rapper SKECH185 and producer Jeff Markey launched under the Backwoodz Studioz banner – an indie label celebrated for steering innovative, alternative hip-hop for the past twenty years. Markey's compositions are a tumultuous amalgamation of intensity and disquiet, an apt sonic backdrop for SKECH185’s raw, ghostly vocals. This composition is further enriched by notable contributions, particularly from Backwoodz stalwarts PremRock and billy woods. — Harry Percy Brown
RAYE — My 21st Century Blues
RAYE's album, My 21st Century Blues, is a vindicating triumph for the artist after severing ties with her previous label. The album’s big single "Escapism" topped the U.K. pop chart, marking her most tremendous commercial success. The album has a mixtape-like quality with abrupt changes in production style and subjects, reflecting RAYE's creativity and the clearing of a backlog of songs, tackling industry woes and survivorship, with tracks like "Hard Out Here" addressing privilege and "Ice Cream Man" recounting a chilling incident with a sexual predator. RAYE's personal touch makes the songs convincing and resonates with her audience. — Murffey Zavier
Kelela — Raven
Kelela's debut album, Take Me Apart, explored the process of falling out of love and opening oneself up to a new relationship. In contrast, her follow-up album, Raven, presents a more meditative calmness. Although she still experiences the ebb and flow of romantic desire, Kelela now sings with the perspective of someone observing things happen to her rather than someone consumed by feeling them. The glitchy, futuristic beats that characterized her previous work have been replaced with more diffuse, ambient, and club mixes that flow into each other. Raven presents a unified and independent version of Kelela, who still longs for love but now sings with a more mature perspective. — Imani Raven
Liv.e — Girl in the Half Pearl
Liv.e's sophomore album, Girl in the Half Pearl, creates space for the voices inside your head, allowing them to float around, talk to each other, and scream into the abyss. The album prioritizes chaos, pulling elements from jazz, hip-hop, R&B, soul, and dance music to encapsulate the diversity of growth and the messiness that comes with it. The album features intrusive thoughts and mixmaster madness, with some voices sweetly whispering messages of prosperity while others shriek without warning. The album is a carefully controlled work that demands that you hear what your subconscious inner dialogue says. — Jamila Wamuiru
October London — The Rebirth of Marvin
Hailing from South Bend, Indiana, artist October London is part of a musically inclined lineage, yet never aspired to be a vocalist during childhood. Nonetheless, his natural soulful timbre refused to be suppressed. With his latest album, October delves into the intricacies of human connections and contemporary challenges, honoring the legendary figures of classic R&B. This record masterfully revitalizes the essence of Motown's twilight and soul music's inception through contemporary perspectives and the intense emotionality of October's vocals, highlighting his artistic evolution and adeptness at fusing time-honored R&B with current nuances. — Philemon Hayes
Maxo — Even God Has a Sense of Humor
Even God Has a Sense of Humor reflects Maxo's life as he nears his thirties, dealing with the aftermath of his misfortunes while trying to maintain the life he's built. The music is blunt and plainspoken, prioritizing storytelling and clarity over clever wordplay. This approach mirrors his 2019 debut album, LIL BIG MAN, which focused on the uncertainty and excitement of Black life in one's early twenties. His debut album doesn't provide clear answers to life's big questions but instead offers the kind of music made by someone content to grapple with a complex life. — Harry Percy Brown
Rome Streetz & Big Ghost Ltd — Wasn’t Built In a Day
The album Wasn’t Built In a Day is a remarkable joint effort between rapper Rome Streetz and producer Big Ghost Ltd, consisting of twelve tracks and featuring a star-studded lineup of guests such as Conway the Machine, Method Man, Plex Diamonds, Lukey Cage, Swab, and Chyna Streetz. Big Ghost Ltd, who has remained enigmatic yet notably impressive in his work over recent years, has fortified his reputation with this project, adding another illustrious achievement to his oeuvre. The album embodies all the elements necessary to take it to a higher echelon: impeccable basement boom-bap beats, the unquestionable lyricism of Rome Streetz, who is one of the finest emcees of his era. — LeMarcus Dontrell
Kali Uchis — Red Moon in Venus
In her third album, Red Moon in Venus, Kali Uchis, a Colombian American singer-songwriter, explores the effects of emotional upheavals on her love life. The album is atmospheric and dreamy, with neo-soul production and sparkling pop touches. Kali's attention to detail, talent, and devotion to beauty is evident in the album, which has been developing creatively since 2018. The album is sensual and sultry, with songs about love, not just the romantic variety. Kali's music aids the embodiment and healing of the dejected inner lover, making her a performer we can rely on to make us feel sensual and embodied with each new release. — Murffey Zavier
Masego — Masego
Masego's unique sound, which he calls TrapHouseJazz, combines saxophone, soulful vocals, and hip-hop production, resulting in a potent brew that has earned him an international following. His latest self-titled album, released after a three-year gap (with loosies), features 14 tracks that showcase his core sound while subtly evolving. The album's full composition is so strong that it deserves the title "magnum opus." Masego's music is a blend of rap, jazz, and soul; his saxophone solos and honey-like vocals are his signatures. His music is maximalist in spirit, and he is a jack of all trades. Masego's music reflects his soul, and he doesn't overthink it. His music is a blessing to his fans. — Brandon O’Sullivan
Yazmin Lacey — Voice Notes
Yazmin Lacey, originally from east London, started creating music from her living room after moving to Nottingham. She has released three EPs since 2017, with the title track of her latest EP, Morning Matters, being a standout piece. Her debut album, Voice Notes, produced by Dave Okumu, is a project that takes you on an escape filled with great storytelling. The album features introspective soliloquies, with lyrics derived from voice notes, memos, and reminders journaled on her phone. It is a musically accomplished album, blending jazz, soul, and electronica without overpowering Yazmin's supple vocals. The album is filled with inspired narratives and sensuality at every turn, offering much to love and savor. — Harry Percy Brown
Musiq Soulchild & Hit-Boy — Victims & Villains
When Hit-Boy provided Musiq Soulchild with a collection of instrumentals, the groundwork for his tenth album was laid. Collaborating with his songwriting ally Alexander "A-Lex" Lloyd, Musiq selected a few beats and experimented with ideas to keep his creativity flowing. This casual endeavor evolved into Victims & Villains, his first full-length release since the Grammy-nominated Feel the Real. Boasting a seamless unity, the album reaffirms Musiq's identity as a hip-hop soul artist, thanks to Hit-Boy's skillful fusion of grit and elegance. Victims & Villains delves into various viewpoints within faltering, unresolved, or occasionally superficial relationships. — Nehemiah Dawson, Jr.
Mac Ayres — Comfortable Enough
Mac Ayres’ fifth studio album is an intimate and soulful release that showcases his signature laid-back tone. His voice still carries the essence of his stated influences of sound, leaning into another flower of R&B, smooth, groovy, and uplifting vocals. The vocals and production are captivating, lending to the confessional-styled lyricism and instrumentation. The entire project is fixated on relishing the healing process that lurks beneath heartache, along with social masking and depression, hardships in love, feeling stuck, and attempts to relinquish control of life's unpredictability. It’s an album that is a beautiful and intimate work that showcases Mac Ayres’ growth as an artist. — LeMarcus Dontrell
Yves Tumor — Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
Yves Tumor's creativity is showcased in Praise a Lord through vivid textures and the incorporation of psychedelic and hallucinatory elements. The songs tackle self-doubt, the artificiality of celebrity, faith, and love with melodies and hooks that are both catchy and complex, combining elements of pop, rock, noise, electronic, and R&B while exploring sensuality, spirituality and subverting conventional genres. The album maintains a consistent flow, and Tumor's maximalism is revisited in certain tracks, providing striking moments. — Imani Raven
JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown — SCARING THE HOES
Detroit rapper Danny Brown almost signed with G-Unit in 2010. Still, a disagreement with 50 Cent over his unconventional style led to his independent journey, eventually leading to avant-garde, genre-defying work. Brown's career took a divergent path to G-Unit's nostalgia-based direction, leading to collaborations like SCARING THE HOES with JPEGMAFIA, another iconoclast. As a U.S. Air Force veteran with a broad audience, JPEGMAFIA's approach juxtaposes frenetic glitch-hop and meme-fluent snark. Their joint album is marked by irreverent humor and energy, indicating a divergence from conventional norms. JPEG's liberal sampling philosophy, using samples from various artists, enables a playful irreverence with institutional deference. Ultimately, Brown and JPEG's work conveys a message of audacious creativity, marked by laughter, both with and in the industry. — Murffey Zavier
Navy Blue — Ways of Knowing
Ways of Knowing marks Sage Elsesser's debut on Def Jam, where he explores ancestral wisdom through smooth gospel samples—Navy Blue's evolution, with his family and their wisdom playing a significant role in his music. The album's production, led by Budgie and featuring contributions from Om'Mas Keith, is known for its elegance and focus. The album's worshipful tone is not towards any specific deity but towards the self, ancestors, and the connections between them. — Harry Percy Brown
Jae Skeese — Abolished Uncertainties
Drumwork artist Jae Skeese is gaining recognition, with a notable feature on Conway the Machine's track, “Crack in the Nineties.” His standout verse caught attention, as did his mixtapes, Revolver Ocelot and Authenticity Check, exhibiting his unique blend of wordplay, personal narratives, and pop culture references. Following his collaborative album with Conway the Machine, Pain Provided Profit, Skeese released his album, Abolished Uncertainties, a compelling 14-track insight into his experiences and perspectives. This album explores diverse themes, from fatherhood to his rapid rise in the hip-hop scene. It showcases Skeese's lyrical prowess, with only a few features from artists like Philly legend Freeway and Conway the Machine, enhancing the project's quality. Despite being relatively new to the mainstream scene, Abolished Uncertainties reveals Skeese's maturity and precision as a lyricist. — Brandon O’Sullivan
ICECOLDBISHOP — GENERATIONAL CURSE
ICECOLDBISHOP, a rapper from South Central L.A., released his long-awaited debut, GENERATIONAL CURSE. He is known for combining technical skills and narrative ambition, making this one of the year's standout releases. ICECOLDBISHOP’s ability to weave intricate stories about systemic issues, poverty, and life's struggles, all delivered through a unique vocal style reminiscent of Danny Brown and Suga Free. His attention to detail in his lyrics often depicts vivid and sometimes horrifying images of his experiences. The album's sound is a minimalistic take on L.A.'s atonality of the last decade, with occasional G-funk basslines from the '90s, paralleling this album and Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d. city, noting the shared themes of cyclical societal issues and the tension between observation and action. — Philemon Hayes
Maysa — Music for Your Soul
Music for Your Soul continues the tradition of Maysa's earlier works, blending a captivating fusion of contemporary R&B, jazz, quiet storm, slow jams, and occasional forays into Soulful House while maintaining the exceptional quality she is known for. Meticulously attuned to the pulse of the music industry, Maysa weaves together the diverse influences that have shaped her career, incorporating new elements of Black music without compromising her distinct sound. A superb R&B album boasted an impressive lineup of collaborators that have created an outstanding album with top-notch arrangements, compositions, and musical production. — Murffey Zavier
Kara Jackson — Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?
Kara Jackson's debut album, Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? is described as a brutally honest exploration of agony and adoration. Jackson, a former National Youth Poet Laureate from Chicago, is celebrated for her painful vulnerability and ability to bend folk music to her will. The album dives into the concept that love and suffering often coincide, pushing this existential question into a harsh, disorienting musical landscape that argues love is synonymous with loss. — Brandon O’Sullivan
El Michels Affair & Black Thought — Glorious Game
Black Thought contacted Leon Michels in 2020, seeking tracks to inspire his writing. Michels responded by merging live instrumentation with sampling, creating a unique sound that included elements from his collection, his composed songs, and contributions from other musicians. The resulting album, Glorious Game, is distinctive, featuring various influences from Turkish psych to vintage funk. Black Thought shines throughout the album, demonstrating his storytelling skill and ability to switch topics easily. Despite his reputation for sternness, his rhymes are filled with humor and pop culture references, further enhancing the album's appeal. — Harry Percy Brown
Jessie Ware — That! Feels Good!
British artist Jessie Ware, known for her singing, authorship, podcasting, and children's fashion ventures, has released her fifth album, That! Feels Good! after studying queer history and gaining inspiration from disco, a genre symbolic of excess and liberation. The album, co-produced by Stuart Price and James Ford, and co-written by Shungudzo Kuyimba and Sarah Hudson, effectively revives the disco genre without sounding stale, a credit to Ware's robust vocals and the infectious joy she radiates on each track. Ware argues that dancing and love are crucial to liberation. Her previous 2020 album, What’s Your Pleasure, initiated a disco revival in pop music with its arpeggiated synths and dancefloor grooves. That! Feels Good! is more unrefined, capturing the atmosphere of early 1970s underground New York disco clubs. Backed by the funk/Afrobeat band Kokoroko, Ware's soulful vocals land within the influences of Donna Summer and Teena Marie, painting her as a glamorous guide leading us into dimly lit clubs. — Charlotte Alessandra Rochel
Durand Jones — Wait Til I Get Over
Wait Til I Get Over by Durand Jones reflects on his upbringing, religious faith, romantic experiences, and personal development. The album draws from Jones' experiences and influences, including his grandmother's guidance, church music, and rural Louisiana background. It showcases Jones' growth as a songwriter and singer, with personalized and riveting performances. The album explores various creative directions, featuring live takes and sonic processing. It includes moments of dedication, gospel-infused performances, and raucous moments with a full band lineup. — Philemon Hayes
billy woods & Kenny Segal — Maps
Unlike his previous politically and historically focused albums, Maps has billy woods teaming up with Kenny Segal, a travelogue inspired by his touring experiences. The lyrics were written and recorded while on the road, portraying the alienation of being away from home, encountering unfamiliar places, and dealing with authority figures and venue workers. The songs touch on themes of existence in corporate America, traveling through soon-to-be-gentrified areas, anxiety, and stage pressure. — Brandon O’Sullivan
Full Crate — A Kid from Yerevan
Full Crate, a turntablist/DJ, is recognized for his many partnerships with artists like Gaidaa, Kyle Dion, Naomi Sharon, Jayd Ink, and T3 of Slum Village, among others. He's become a leading figure in underground music culture, contributing to R&B, hip-hop, and more. With his initial album, A Kid from Yerevan, Full Crate offers introspective musings on his formative years as an immigrant, an experience that significantly influenced his personal and artistic development. The project of twelve tracks is deeply embedded in his multilocal experiences across Armenia, Moscow, Amsterdam, and LA, offering listeners diverse stories and sonic landscapes. Full Crate's multifaceted talent is displayed throughout the album, where he assumes the roles of singer, writer, and producer, demonstrating his comprehensive musicianship and artistic authenticity. — Philemon Hayes
Janelle Monaé — The Age of Pleasure
The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monáe marks a notable departure from her past discography, which largely centered around high-concept, science fiction themes. This album is her first that isn't explicitly about androids. The Age of Pleasure embraces Monáe's identity as a queer artist. Diverging from her unique genre-bending, Afro-futurist music brand, this album sees her stepping into more mainstream sounds while retaining her distinctive flare. — Jamila Wamuiru
Amaraae — Fountain Baby
The Ghanaian American singer's second album, Fountain Baby, is praised for its confident and unconventional approach, with various sounds from violins, cellos, a Japanese koto, ethereal harps, West African dunun, and kora, steel pan drums, and an authoritative horn section. Amaarae's voice is luxurious, and her music is lavish. The album explores themes of desire, wealth, and the consequences of both, with a sense of awareness that sets Amaarae apart from her pop contemporaries. Despite the looming anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Ghana, Amaarae's music remains a bold vision of sex, danger, and the complicated life of a baller. — Jamila Wamuiru
BLK ODYSSY — DIAMONDS & FREAKS
BLK ODYSSY's ascension in 2021 felt akin to the inaugural celebration of a musical revolution, and now the ensemble introduces us to an “erotic novel of love and lust” in their latest work. Fittingly, this vibrant four-part concept album oscillates between irresistibly enticing and reflective portrayals of lovers interpreting their bond through their individual perspectives. On the surface, such dichotomy in narrative could either excel or fail, yet DIAMONDS & FREAKS accomplishes a potent thematic resonance with lyrics that exude a raw, almost voyeuristic sincerity. — Brandon O’Sullivan
Killer Mike — MICHAEL
After his run with El-P as Run The Jewels for the better part of the 2010s and 2020, Killer Mike makes a momentous return with the autobiographical album MICHAEL, reaffirming his stature in hip-hop. Rather than pursuing commercial success, this work underscores his committed artistry, offering an intimate portrayal of his journey as he oscillates between vulnerability and fragility. The album delves into his Southern roots, drawing from gospel, blues, and Atlanta’s dynamic aura. — Reginald Marcel