The 25 Best Canadian Albums of 2021

Image via Complex Original

Label: Joy Ride Records

Released: January 1

Montreal North’s Steve Casimir once appeared destined to have an immeasurable impact on the nascent rap scene in his city in the 1990s. He and Méchant Style were flying high on the success of Sur le corner, and his NY-indebted sound dominated the 514. Over 20 years and a prison sentence later, Ticaso has returned on Joy Ride Records, sound and subject matter intact. Singularly focused, Normal de l’est could’ve blown up around the time of The Blueprint—instead, Ticaso gets a second act to prove he’s always been integral to Montreal rap’s DNA. ADISQ jurors agreed, giving him Best Rap Album honours at their awards gala in November. —Erik Leijon

Label: ICE KREME CREATIVE GROUP  

Released: November 19

From the shuffling percussion of “Sangre Fría” to the balmy keys and slow-swaying groove of “Amor Del Bueno,” not to mention the gently percolating drums and guitar of “Sola,” Toronto Barrio showcases some of the most intriguing talent of Latin lineage that Canada’s biggest city has to offer. Yes, the majority of the rapped and R&B-purred come-hithers are in Spanish, but their rhythms are irresistible enough to make those of us who can’t understand want to study up. Sure, it’s spearheaded by Latin Music Block Chain (LMBC), a collective of executives that aim to support new talent. But Toronto Barrio by no means sounds like a boardroom affair thanks to its sunny rhythms and, even more so, the heartfelt vocals contributed by Gilbert Saurez, Bebeboy, Magic Seis, and more. —Kyle Mullin

Label: Independent

Released: August 6

One of the UK’s hottest new voices isn’t from England at all, but a west end neighbourhood in Montreal called Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. What makes that locale unique in the primarily francophone metropolis is it’s home to a strong Caribbean contingent, including Saint Vincent native Shemar Mckie, who moved there as a teen. Skiifall hasn’t fully shaken his Vincentian flow, which allowed “Ting Tun Up” to cross an ocean the moment he hit upload. For a highly anticipated follow-up, he dropped a three-song EP that showed off his versatility and made the wait for a full-length all the more excruciating. Skiifall’s output has been measured so far, with no missteps.—Erik Leijon

Label: Def Jam

Released: September 24

Turning 25 means the time is right for a quarter-life crisis, and Alessia Cara ponders where exactly she’s headed as she navigates a breakup against the backdrop of getting older on In The Meantime. Cara has always been straight-to-the-point with her lyrics, but they’ve been fleshed out in a more colourful fashion this time around, as she sings about not having all the answers just yet. “I miss you don’t call me,” she states plainly while longing for a certain someone, and “No between the lines/ It’s black and white/I’m by myself” she sings on “Somebody Else.” There is power in making the best out of the simple, the bad, and the mundane, and Cara excels at all of it while staying true to who she is: an introvert who will never stop trying to figure things out while pushing herself. —Natalie Harmsen

Label: Independent

Released: July 30

With One More Saturday Night, Tim “2oolman” Hill and Ehren “Bear Witness” Thomas sturdily build upon the already formidable legacy of The Halluci Nation’s prior iteration, A Tribe Called Red. That means not only melding dance music with Indigenous chants and percussion, but this time also working with live Indigenous drummers. You can hear the difference on key tracks like “NDN Kars,” whose viscerally organic beat will reverberate in the back of your mind long after the run time’s end. However, The Halluci Nation’s teaming of Indigenous chants with other genre elements—funky horns on “Remember 02,” Canadian R&B and rap royalty Haviah Mighty and Odario on “Ba Na Na,” noted folk artist and radio host Tom Power’s banjo strums on “Stay”—make the eclectic potential of powwow dance music equally palpable. —Kyle Mullin

Label: Mighty Gang Inc

Released: November 12

Haviah Mighty has never been one to shy away from sparking a cultural conversation, and she does so with her sharp lyrics and smooth flow on Stock Exchange. Whether it’s pointing out the state of racism in North America on the searing anthem “Protest” or pondering the relationship that wasn’t on “Coulda Been You,” the songs, although not necessarily thematically cohesive, all come from a place of brutal honesty. It’s also why it works as a mixtape, with every track spanning different topics, instead of an album with one concrete theme. Although she might not realize it, all the songs work in tandem to make listeners reflect on how the pandemic has impacted us all differently. —Natalie Harmsen

Label: Distorted Muse

Released: October 22

When it comes to the title of Snotty Nose Rez Kids’ latest, the Indigenous rap duo aren’t just surviving. They’re thriving. “Sink or Swim” is a dissonance-slathered festival anthem. Déjà Vu” fearlessly delves into the societal woes gripping reserves from coast to coast to coast, while “Change,” lives up to its name as an ode to aspiration. And be sure not to miss “After Dark,” a show-stopping closing track that doubles as a prayer to The Creator. Life After oozes with unflinching vulnerability and boundless imagination for a better tomorrow.—Kyle Mullin

Label: OVO Sound

Released: November 12

Don’t be too quick to dismiss Smiley as yet another hokey mumble rapper. Yes, OVO Sound hotshot isn’t adverse to a giggle-inducing punchline putting a lady friend on time out for being bad, or eye roll-inspiring rhymes about cinnamon-sweet oral sex. But they’re less sincere duds than entertaining exercises in style. And when he strategically goes deep, Smiley will suddenly yank your heartstrings. On “Beat It,” for instance, he rhymes nightmare with “I see my mom on welfare.” That, along with his laid-back rhyming over moodily murky production, not to mention holding his own with label boss Drake on “Over the Top,” make Buy or Bye 2 anything but by the numbers.—Kyle Mullin

Label: Fantasy Records

Released: May 21

Nashville’s Allison Russell has made a name for herself in the world of Americana, as a member of Po’ Girl, Birds of Chicago, and Our Native Daughters. But for her debut solo album, Russell returned to her youth living in Montreal, where she was born and raised. She endured abuse at the hands of a relative and eventually lived on the streets as a teen. Outside Child returns to those painful times, but Russell said in an interview the album isn’t about trauma. Over a musical language steeped in folklore and lullabies, Russell takes this very personal story and traces the genealogy back to her Grenadian roots, finding triumph in overcoming adversity. Russell is up for three Grammys: Best Americana, Best American Roots Performance, and Best American Roots Song. —Erik Leijon

Label: Royal Mountain Records

Released: April 30

Returning from a seven year hiatus, Toronto singer Rochelle Jordan drew on all the music that has soundtracked her life for Play With The Changes. That meant tapping into the 2-step garage and drum and bass of her UK birthplace, the moody, atmospheric R&B of the 2010s—of which the now L.A.-based singer is an unheralded pioneer—and mining the unapologetically Black origins of house and techno music. The seemingly effortless synergistic result is one of the strongest albums of the year. Jordan’s deceptively feathery voice proves to be a formidable instrument over the infectiously stellar production, which allows validating space for her songwriting to manifest searing and compelling narratives about mental health, racism, and authentic self-affirmation. —Del Cowie

Label: Ugly Hag Records

Release: June 20

Because the album was removed from streaming, Ashanti Mutinta couldn’t exactly reap the benefits of her 2020 Polaris Music Prize for God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It. Luckily, fans got an entirely new release of palpably punishing tunes just over a year later. I Lie Here refines and expands upon the predecessor’s descent into despair. The occult, the religious iconography, the anger and fear are louder and sharper without sacrificing the guttural passion that endeared listeners to her inner torment. Inspired by rap, metal, and more, Backxwash has fashioned her own unmistakable sound, and I Lie Here shows there’s more darkness to sonically and lyrically explore. —Erik Leijon

Label: OVO Sound/Warner Records

Released: August 20

For years, Twitter has likened Ty Dolla $ign features to adding seasoning to a dish—he always makes things better. Cheers to the Best Memories, a joint effort between Dolla $ign and Dvsn, was no exception. Together, they offer a modern take on R&B slow jams and the result is a top tier ode to the ‘90s that’s referential, but not derivative. As Sheldon Pearce pointed out in his New Yorker review, both acts have been running comparable paths since breaking into the industry: Ty Dolla $ign has been folding trap sensibilities into his R&B tracks, while Dvsn have been infusing R&B soulfulness into their hip-hop cameos. The pairing appeases our appetite for hip-hop-leaning R&B, while tapping into our fondness for the old school sound. Mattress music has never sounded better. —Sumiko Wilson

Label: Universal Music Canada

Release: June 16

Emanuel’s debut album was the culmination of a two-part EP saga that launched at the onset of the pandemic. The first part, Session 1: Disillusion, felt forlorn with melancholic ballads like “Thought It’d Be Easy.” On the second installment, Session 2: Transformation, we were fed tracks that had the same moody sound with a more celebratory tone, like “Black Woman” and the eerie standout “Magazines.” The London native’s tenor tone has a raw, warm intensity to it; when he’s singing, it sounds like pleading, so it’s nearly impossible not to get wrapped up in the yarns he’s spinning. —Sumiko Wilson

Label: People’s Champ

Release: October 8

BADBADNOTGOOD take their love of jazz and hip-hop to the next level on Talk Memory, the first album since the departure of co-founder Matthew Tavares. In classic BBNG tradition, the group splices up some psychedelic sounds and sews in some funky grooves for an album that sounds like a series of jam sessions that were pulled from the ether and uploaded straight to the record, seamlessly. Featuring a number of collaborators to breathe new life into their smooth arrangements, the LP swerves between genres and toys with varying levels of intensity. Two standouts are the ethereal “Unfolding (Momentum 73)” that lets Laraaji’s electric zither do its thing while letting the saxophone shine, and “Beside April,” which blossoms with a euphoric string section that sounds majestic. —Natalie Harmsen

Label: 1z Co. Recordings

Released: March 5

Straight outta Knight Street, the Vancouver roadway with a teeming immigrant population, Manila Grey dropped an album that made Asians feel seen during a year when they needed it most. The duo deliver trappy bops about the Filipino immigrant grind (“00 Luck”), pop-R&B gems reflecting on how far they’ve come (“Backhouse Ballin’”), and cheeky sex jams (“Let’s All Get Along”) confirming that they’re indeed no saints at all. And yet, the LP sees them gel immaculately; Soliven’s velvety vocals and Neeko’s gritty bars coalesce with airtight chemistry while bleeding into azel north’s glitchy, glistening production so naturally you’d think all three once shared a womb. “A year and a half into Manila Grey, we started seeing the influence when local acts began sort of dressing like us, wearing vests, dyeing their hair,” Soliven told Complex Canada. He was referring to youth in the Philippines, but could just as easily have been talking about Vancity, where their influence is palpable. On No Saints, MG reassert themselves as West Coast kings, and the best thing to happen to hair colourists in a long time. —Alex Nino Gheciu

Label: Cult Nation

Released: April 23

For the longest time, it felt like Montreal singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin would never release an album, despite an entire province clamouring for one. She’s been dropping singles and EPs since 2015, and the steady flow of tunes seemed to agree with her and fans, since the lack of album never stopped her from headlining shows in her hometown. But true to album’s title, Cardin rose to new heights in 2021, finally bestowing a collection of 13 lovelorn torch tunes upon the masses. To say Quebec gobbled it up ravenously is an understatement, and to her credit, Cardin’s long-awaited debut lived up to years of promise. Cardin stopped Quebec’s music world in its tracks the same way Adele kinda did for the rest of North America: undeniable, inescapable, big-tent, big-voiced pop that works in a room of 2,500, a room of one, a television studio, or a grocery store aisle. —Erik Leijon

Label: Def Jam

Released: March 19

Who knew pop music’s former bad boy would grow up to be such a soft-spoken sweetheart? On the aptly titled “Deserve You,” the once tabloid fodder conveyor belt of a celebrity humbly declares his lady is out of his league by the way she holds him alone (not to mention how kissing her makes him “feel alive and “brand new.”) Eschewing irony and innuendo, Biebs keeps his heart firmly on his sleeve on the propulsive, Weeknd-rivaling-in-its-Michael-Jackson-evoking “Die For You.” And on “Hold On,” he offers to be supportive at the other end of the phone whenever his loved one “needs someone/I’ll pick up the pieces if you come undone.” Turning over a new leaf never sounded so irresistible. —Kyle Mullin

Label: Avant Garden/4th & Broadway

Released: July 23

On Hope For Sale, Chiiild came into his own. Just one year after dropping his debut EP, the Montreal-bred, L.A.-based producer-turned-singer returned with a full-length crop of tracks, blending mellow R&B and earthy pop with funk-fused nostalgia. 

Over 11 tracks, Chiiild’s production prowess shines. For instance, at the album’s halfway point, we hear “13 Months of Sunshine,” a meditative instrumental that he likens to a palate cleanser, blending inspo from traditional Ethiopian music and Pink Floyd. In June, he made his U.S. TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel, a feat that only a few of his Canadian contemporaries managed to pull off. The performance was a triumph and just one month later, Hope For Sale’s release cemented Chiiild as one of the country’s most promising emerging acts—and perhaps our next big export. —Sumiko Wilson

Label: OVO Sound/Warner Records

Released: October 21

Majid Jordan’s third album sees the duo showing off their sound in the cleanest way possible, having refined and polished their songwriting more than ever before. The two lean more into pop with dance-ready tracks including “Waves of Blue.” It’s arguably the happiest album they’ve ever released, going a step beyond the sultry moodiness of their self-titled debut, and their sleek sophomore album. On Wildest Dreams, the two get playful and let loose, proving that they’re capable of getting experimental and trying new things without fully abandoning their signature R&B sound that put them on the map. It elevates what they do best by going for simplicity. Take “Sway,” a Diddy-assisted slow burner and “Forget About the Party,” the stripped-down acoustic ballad—both tracks are timeless, and not quite like anything they’ve done already. And tracks like that, combined with the Drake-featured “Stars Align” and the song that’s begging to be a hit, “Summer Rain,” show that the crisp engineering and expressive vocals make for a dreamlike album that’s poised to be a classic. —Natalie Harmsen

Label: Stone Woman Music

Released: July 9

Charlotte Day Wilson has never been one to shy away from soaring melodies, lush harmonies, and tender lyrics, all of which come to fruition on her debut album ALPHA. From the Drake-sampled “Mountains,” which bursts with the heartbreak of a relationship coming to its end, to the reverb-filled carefree love song “Take Care of You” with Syd, the LP proves it was well worth the wait. The rich tone of Wilson’s voice explodes with soulful passion. From start to finish, each song ebbs and flows into the next with such ease, the entire album feels like a warm sunset that burns from orange to amber, meshing silky R&B instrumentation with simple lyrics. That’s not to say the simplicity is a hindrance; rather it allows listeners to find themselves in the space between the words, leaning into the moments of intimate honesty that shine throughout. —Natalie Harmsen

Label: Independent

Released: April 23

Anyone who has followed DijahSB’s Twitter feed for any amount of time would have been witness to content that rides the emotional gamut. Gut-busting humour, witty defiance in the face of trolls, and soul-crushing depression could be the topic of any limited-character missive issued by the Toronto rapper. This isn’t carefully curated and optimized for maximum audience reach. It’s tangible and relatable, embracing the nuanced messiness of everyday life. It probably comes as no surprise, then, that DijahSB’s latest album Head Above the Waters, is a full-blown immersion into the character traits their persona hinted at on social media. Following up 2020 the Album, this LP similarly touches on serious topics in an understated, fleeting manner while ensuring the beats bump. But there’s an added layer of breakthrough clarity and assuredness this time around, especially when dealing with the topic of depression. On “Way Too Many Ways,” DijahSB raps, “I be talking bout the harder parts that no one mentions/I overcame the feeling, but I get visits often,” and on the Harrison-produced closer “Big Waves,” they acknowledge it wasn’t so long ago they were “floating in the ocean with cinderblocks on my feet,” indicating that they still have a way to go. Still, tracks like “Overtime” find DijahSB at their vulnerable best, ensuring they have learned how to enforce boundaries and practice self-care while embracing their flaws and shortcomings. —Del Cowie

Label: Independent

Released: October 22

Devastated over the murder of fellow rapper and friend Houdini last year, NorthSideBenji took a step back. Though he was one of Toronto’s hottest independent MCs, with a following in the UK to match, he no longer knew if he wanted to stay in the game. He needed time to grieve and reflect. Turns out the best way he could do that was by writing. The Extravagant Collection, despite its Dan Bilzerian-y title, is a series of emotionally raw, inward-looking dispatches on the triumphs and tragedies of a Toronto rapper in 2021. Benji sets the tone with somber opener “Long Live Twin,” forgoing his usual bravado to mourn Houdini and lament the target on his back in his own city, where he’s forced to “move like a ghost” just to visit the dentist. The beats—made by a crack team of producers like Bavaro, Eli, and SK—are stripped-back and laced with melancholy, allowing breathing room for Benji to carry each song with his deceptively poignant storytelling and wealth of melodic flows. He’s overcome the odds to get here, so he still flaunts his riches, but not without relaying the painful realities of the paper chase. On “Keep Runnin’” he gloats about his “money machine” while sounding equally ensnared by it; on “Money Showers” he flexes his opulent lifestyle with a caveat: “This shit here ain’t for cowards/All the funerals and the flowers.” Sobering album standout “Problems to Millions” hears him put things even more bluntly: “This life, it isn’t worth it all.” Yet such is life for a street rapper in the 6ix, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more honest account of it than this. —Alex Nino Gheciu

Label: eOne Music

Released: April 30

No wonder he finally won the Polaris. Fourteen years after his groundbreaking debut Breaking Kayfabe first netted him a nomination for that prestigious prize, Edmonton-born underground MC Cadence Weapon finally got his flowers for his equally innovative Parallel World. He pushes the form as far as ever with a full-throated, borderline-hollering rebuke of the tech abyss on “Connect.” Thanks to that powerful vocal delivery, Cadence evokes a hunger to make that song’s title a reality in this social media-siloed age. “Africville’s Revenge” is an ambitious ode to early Black entrepreneurs. Then there’s his squirrely flow over the warbly instrumental of “On Me,” grippingly conveying paranoia about the surveillance state both sonically and lyrically. “Play No Games,” meanwhile, boasts a skittering instrumental from Toronto up-and-comer Korea Town Acid, over which Cadence more than keeps pace with a breathless flow. Boundary shatter-er Backxwash, meanwhile, spits marrow-chilling verses on “Ghost,” instantly clarifying why Cadence was inspired to up his vocal ante after hearing that younger MCs preceding Polaris Prize-winning rap-metal opus God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It, and knew he needed to invite her to feature on his next album.

But this phase of Cadence’s career isn’t just marked by more avant-garde forays. He also makes trendier fare his own, hopping on a trap beat and chanting a succinctly catchy chorus on “Senna.” His thrillingly dense wordplay and equally nimble flow on that song’s verses of course elevate what could’ve been a lark. He’s also clearly having the time of his life on “Water,” audibly puffing out his chest over a sizzling beat by his hero Jimmy Edgar in keeping with that veteran Detroit DJ’s esteemed discography. Simultaneously cutting edge and catchy as hell, Cadence Weapon deftly straddles those parallel extremes with Parallel World. —Kyle Mullin

Label: OVO Records

Released: September 3

The most valid critique of Drake’s sixth studio LP was that the tracks could have easily appeared on any of his previous drops. Yes, all 21 songs on the tracklist were steeped in his signature sound with atmospheric production and sharp-witted, melodic bars. But though he’s consistent, Certified Lover Boy cemented the fact that Drake is never boring. 

Now over a decade into his career, his strength is in his self-awareness, as noted in the makeshift liner notes for his 2018 album Scorpion (“DRAKE MAKES MUSIC FOR GIRLS, DRAKE THINKS HE’S JAMAICAN, DRAKE IS AN ACTOR...YEAH YEAH WE KNOW”). Where tenured fans know what he’s capable of, he’s proven that he’s keenly attuned to exactly what they want from him. It’s an unspoken contract between artists and fans that some deliberately eschew in favour of experimentation (as one former Drake rival has been doing for the entirety of his career). Neither approach is better than the other, but after living through such uncertain times, it was comforting to just hear Aubz be Aubz. When he experiments, he cosplays as a yaad man and Animorph-style shapeshifts into an aspiring UK roadman, but it always sounds distinctly Drake. 

The Certified Lover Boy is both a caricature and a celebration of who Drake has become. He funds strippers’ poorly fleshed-out business ventures (“TSU”); he pulls strings to keep the mall open for his love interest and her friends (“N 2 Deep”); he mourns fizzled flings (“Pipe Down”); he asks his barber to etch a heart into his hairline despite the fact that he’s a 35-year-old father of one. He’s lyrically at his best on the ultra-cinematic, Beatles-sampling overture “Champagne Poetry” (I will die on that hill!) and calls in favors from fellow YMCMB alums Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne on “Papi’s Home” and “You Only Live Twice,” respectively. On “Knife Talk,” the bar “Spoiler alert: that n*gga died” makes me laugh out loud and the “Fair Trade” line “Losing friends and finding peace” sounds like it’s directly ripped from a post that moms find on Facebook and recirculate on WhatsApp. These aren’t flaws, though. They make Certified Lover Boy all the more endearing, in its deeply sentient, highly-relatable glory. He is the people’s champ, after all. —Sumiko Wilson

Label: Regent Park Songs

Released: May 28

To say Mustafa’s When Smoke Rises is unique would be an understatement. At its heart, it’s a dedication from Mustafa Ahmed to his friend, Toronto rapper Jahvante ‘Smoke Dawg’ Smart, who was tragically killed in a downtown Toronto shooting in 2018. But it’s actually much more than that. When Smoke Rises is a suite of eight songs meditating on the seemingly endless cycle of grief. These are folk songs with sparse instrumentation accentuating Mustafa’s achingly weathered voice and vivid poetry. Within a few scant lines of the opening track “Stay Alive,” Mustafa’s deft wordplay quickly establishes the oppressive external forces that have historically impacted the Regent Park neighbourhood of Toronto in which he grew up. It’s within this framework that Mustafa and his friends negotiate the sobering reality of gnawing dread, truncated life expectancy, and the too-regular mourning of cherished friends and family. 

Given this context, Mustafa’s largely unadorned musical framing, as delicate and minimalist as it sounds, is as resistant and subversive as any hard-hitting beat. The haunting, ambient melancholy of the standout “Air Forces” is anchored by a Sudanese tribal chant and like many other tracks on the album it is often punctuated by defiantly disembodied voice notes from Mustafa’s fellow Halal Gang members. Yet despite their contributions, alongside those of high-profile sonic conspirators Frank Dukes, James Blake, Sampha, and Jamie xx to name a few, the focus remains unerringly and impressively on Mustafa, whose vulnerable presence is so genuinely raw it cannot be supplanted. This emotional range is underlined on “The Hearse,” a vengeful track directed at those who have killed his friends and on the heart-rending final tracks “What About Heaven” and “Come Back.” At one point on the latter track, Mustafa’s futile plea “Please come back/At least in my dreams,” could induce a lump in the throat. It’s moments like these that When Smoke Rises feels less like an album and more like a necessary cathartic outlet for a very necessary voice. —Del Cowie