The music of 2023 re-introduced me to old favorites, like rerecorded albums from Taylor Swift, to discovering such new artists as Holly Humberstone.
Like every year, these albums kept me company in the good times and bad. They exemplify the range of music that dropped this year from artists far and wide — debut albums, EPs and albums that turned longtime musicians into sensations.
In 2023, I spent 21,685 minutes listening to 476 different artists, 1,388 different songs and 200 different albums (thanks, Apple Music). Here are my eight favorite albums of the year:
“Paint My Bedroom Black,” Holly Humberstone • If I had to pick one favorite new artist discovery of the year, it would be English singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone. I could write long-winded odes about Humberstone’s ability to craft therapy into pop bangers, something that’s become a superpower for her. It’s audible in her earliest of EPs to her debut album, “Paint My Bedroom Black,” released in October. Humberstone’s songs have become the background music for much of my life in 2023, and her range, from the stripped-down “Kissing in Swimming Pools” to the creative “Flatlining,” always keeps me on my toes.
“Rolling Up The Welcome Mat (EP),” Kelsea Ballerini • This was a music year punctuated with albums that turned longtime musicians into sensations. Country artist Kelsea Ballerini’s EP “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat ‘’ is one example. Sure, it blew up on TikTok (like other works on this list), but it’s Ballerini’s unfiltered songwriting that makes the six-track record shine bright. This collection of songs is one of the most cathartic albums I’ve ever listened to. (And, Ballerini puts on a hell of a show to support the emotional tracks.)
“Good Riddance,” Gracie Abrams • Gracie Abrams is becoming the queen of introspective pop. Last year, I listed several of her singles as some of my favorite tracks of the year. Abrams’ whispering voice and crooning pleas are scattered throughout her debut album, as ample as her gut-wrenching lyrics. Though the album has a slower, sadder tinge than her earlier singles, it’s perfect.
“Stick Season,” Noah Kahan • Remember what I said about 2023 albums turning musicians into sensations? Noah Kahan, who came onto the music scene in 2017, is another example. Technically, his smash hit “Stick Season” came out in October 2022, but I spent most of 2023 listening to the folk-pop artist and all of his New England angst. It’s hard to pick a single favorite track from it, though “Orange Juice” is the main contender for the chorus alone. The album also got him nominated, alongside Abrams, in the Grammys in the Best New Artist category.
“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor Swift • It’s not an end-of-the-year list without some mention of Time’s Person of the Year, and my most-listened-to artist of 2023. “Speak Now” is one of my top three favorite albums from Swift. Listening to rerecordings of her albums is always a unique experience — will the emotional significance resonate all these years later? Will her more mature voice hinder that process? For me, “Speak Now” hit all the marks, in places other rerecordings did not (ahem, looking at you, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” except the vault tracks). This rerecording reminded me why I loved “Speak Now” so much.
“Zach Bryan,” Zach Bryan • It feels a bit weird that Zach Bryan named this album after himself, when much of the country and country-folk world already knows who he is. After all, his songs, like “Something in the Orange,” blew up last year. Yet, the 16-track self-titled album only reminds listeners of Bryan’s roots, of his skills as an artist, from his gritty, hypnotizing voice to his creative lyrics. The songs on the albums with other artists, like The Lumineers, serve to make Bryan inescapable — in a good way.
“I’ve Loved You For So Long,” The Aces • The third album from the Orem-bred band The Aces completely blew me away. So much of what the quartet sings about is personal, like their experiences of growing up queer in Utah County, but it’s also universal: a sonic look at surviving your 20s. Getting to talk to the band about the album, specific songs and how it all came together only solidified its place on my top albums list.
“Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent,” Lewis Capaldi • I am delighted to report that Lewis Capaldi did not fall victim to the sophomore slump after a wildly successful first album. In fact, “Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent” shows him to be a stronger musician and writer. I got to see Capaldi play a live show in Orem this year, and it remains one of my favorite concerts of the year.
An honorable mention goes to “Think Later” by Tate McRae, whose music is not only all over TikTok, but has a knack for getting stuck in your head.
The singles
In addition to the albums I liked in 2023, here are a handful of singles that I enjoyed listening to.
• My second-most-listened-to track of the year (following Ballerini’s “Penthouse”) is Griff’s “Vertigo,” an inexplicably addicting track.
• “Paint The Town Red” by Doja Cat played on repeat this year for a good chunk of time.
• Olivia Rodrigo’s second album, “Guts,” fell short for me, but her singles — like “Vampire” — stuck out.
• Conor Maynard, whose covers I watched in high school on YouTube, had an album come out this year, too, called “+11 Hours.” The single “If I Ever” stole the show.
• And, finally, in only a slight surprise: any of Rachel Zegler’s sonic powerhouses from the soundtrack of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”
