The Best Albums of 2014

Release date: August 25, 2014

To be honest, there are only a few songs from Raury’s debut album—”God’s Whisper,” “Cigarette Song,” and “Superfly”—that I go back to on a regular basis, but there’s an undeniable energy and open-mindedness on Indigo Child that makes it one of the most exciting releases of the year.

There’s nothing formulaic about this album, and while that means it’s a little scatterbrained, it also highlights the fact that Raury is an artist who’s willing to take risks. Whereas so many debuts rely on copying the blueprint of a lead single, Raury’s first project is about trying new things and exploring different sounds. In today’s climate of instant gratification and stunted attention spans, we sometimes expect too much of artists right off the bat, and that leads to forced results and short-term satisfaction. What this album proved, more than anything, is potential. Indigo Child showcased big ideas and sometimes brilliant execution, and it leaves us really looking forward to Raury’s bright future.—Confusion

Release date: February 4, 2014

The UK is known for its rich musical history, but there are very few rap acts from the UK that the US has had to play catch-up with. Anticon signees Young Fathers are changing that. The Scottish trio’s debut, Dead, which beat out efforts from FKA twigs and Jungle to win the prestigious "Best Album" Mercury Prize, unapologetically stomps through a true mish-mash of genres. There’s beauty to be found in its destruction of genre conventions, even when it’s purposefully ugly. Menacing intensity broods in the foreground, whilst grieving lament froths in the background. Dead is not the easiest listen in the world, but it’s definitely one of the most rewarding of the year.—Joe Price

Related: Young Fathers Don't Give a Fuck About Being Cool and Want to Make You So Happy That You Cry

Release date: April 22, 2014

Future Hendrix, the original title of Future's sophomore album, was first announced back in June of 2012. It would be almost two years and many features and one-offs later that we finally got Future's new record, now repackaged with the name Honest. Despite the wait, Honest doesn't aim to wow listeners by doing anything wildly different to what Future's done before. Instead it resides comfortably and confidently in the niche that he has carved out for himself in the hip-hop world. It weaves between the more unpredictable Future of the past and the hitmaker Future of the present, resulting in a range of material that accurately reflects how versatile he is as an artist.—Katie K

Release date: May 20, 2014

On the opening track of New Orleans rapper Pell's full-length debut, Floating While Dreaming, he tells listeners, "Give me 15 minutes, I'll turn it into forever." It's a confident claim, but one that feels increasingly justified as the album progresses. By the final note, Pell leaves very little doubt that his name is going to be one that's around for a while.

Floating While Dreaming provides a remarkably comfortable, almost dream-like listening experience, and its multitude of intricacies shine brighter with each listen. Pell floats over atmospheric production with healthy doses of rapping and crooning alike, drawing comparisons to Chance The Rapper, both in terms of his voice and his obvious sincerity. Features from Curtis Williams and Boldy James certainly corralled new eyes and ears, but Floating While Dreaming is Pell's album through and through.

Oh, and his live show is high-energy, and high quality, an incredibly important element for any up-and-coming artist in 2014.—Tim Larew

Release date: May 26, 2014

Is it any surprise that Sam Smith is on this list? Just take a step back and consider the year he's had. From embarking on his first North American tour at the beginning of 2014 to wrapping up the year with six Grammy nominations, In The Lonely Hour has brought Smith incredible success. This success, though at times a double-edged sword, with some dismissing him due to his mainstream appeal, stems from his remarkable voice. Smith is a very technically precise singer, and he sings with finesse. But what's made him a household name across the globe is his vulnerability. Smith lays bare his most honest and at times heart-wrenching emotions, particularly on songs like "Stay With Me" and "Leave Your Lover."

In The Lonely Hour has everything that a debut album needs for it to be a hit. But the most important thing that a debut album needs to do is to showcase the artist in the best light possible. Judging by the success Sam Smith has enjoyed, In The Lonely Hour has done just that.—Joyce

Related: Sam Smith Interview

Release date: August 7, 2014

It sometimes seems like the only way for a young artist to break out from the shadows of the Internet is to get lucky with a viral hit. We’ve seen it happen time and time again, but Lucki Eck$ is going a different route. The young Chicago rapper slowly but surely keeps building on his unique brand of melodic, sedated deliveries over hypnotic production. Body High blends together like a room filled with smoke—there is no clear standout or big single here.

While so many other up-and-coming rappers struggle to recreate the magic of one random hit, Lucki delivers the kind of project that you can play from front to back, and every now and then—“Count On Me 3,” "4th Commandment Broken,” “Reflections”—it starts to feel like maybe an unconventional hit from Lucki isn’t all that far-fetched.—Confusion

Release date: January 17, 2014

From The Fool to Warpaint, it seems the all-girl quartet has gained confidence in their style, taking their aesthetic and running with it. On their new album, Warpaint kept the electronics wonderfully simple, delicate, and ethereal, lulling you into calm on tracks like "Teese," and "Biggy." Pair that with the superbly soft vocals of lead singer Emily Kokal, and you have an album full of electric lullabies.

But it's not that simple, and definitely not that peaceful. The Los Angeles band delivers tenacity on"Disco//very"—the chorus casually threatening, "Don't you battle, we'll kill you / We'll rip you up and tear you in two." Warpaint have a clear style that is all their own, but they aren't afraid to push it to its limits, and that makes for a truly enjoyable experience.—Jules Muir

Related: Warpaint on Spirit Animals, Veganaise, and Their New Album

Release date: November 17, 2014

Although various major label machinations pushed the release of Fryars’ sophomore album POWER back and back and then back again, all that time allowed him to lovingly craft a modern pop epic, not to mention build his reputation as a songwriter by working on Lily Allen’s Sheezus.

With the album finally out, Benjamin Garrett is proven to be an artist of lofty ambitions—the music is rich, full, and multi-layered, and the choruses, especially on “Can’t Stop Loving You,” “On Your Own,” and “Cool Like Me,” are gigantic and unashamedly poppy. Yet, through it all, Garrett has included little quirks (the fact that this is a concept album and the “score to an unwritten film” being one of them) and experimental flourishes that might not reveal themselves until the fifth or tenth listen. Give Fryars’ your time and attention and you will be rewarded.—Constant Gardner

Release date: October 16, 2014

Often the best projects are born out of reinvention—a calculated effort to shake off past ways of doing something and find new modes of expression. Kindness' album, Otherness, began at a 2007 residency in Philadelphia, transporting him away from London into a simple yet generous community of creatives. "The idea was just that I work on something, and at the end I leave the residency with a record," he told Fader, referring to a time when he felt less collaborative energy in the UK. He released World, You Need a Change of Mind in 2012, an album that established the Kindness sound as one pulling equally from jazz, soul, R&B, disco, and funk. Traces of that first album are on Otherness, except Otherness has noticeably clearer vocals and crisper instrumentals, making for an album that feels more intentional, realized, and pop than what Kindness was making before.

Additionally, Otherness is truly collaborative; it features Kelela, Robyn, Dev Hynes, M.Anifest, Taiwah, and Ade, who contribute to the album's overall warmth and reassuring message. Even the more despondent, introspective moments on the album, like "Why Don't You Love Me," are backed by soft drums, keys, and harmonies, making unrequited love sound more like a bearable journey than torture. Kindness' Otherness, at only 10 songs, has the kind of soul and depth a lot of contemporary pop music lacks, at a time when the genre relies more and more on electronic production. For every funky bassline and saxophone solo on the album, there's an all-encompassing sense that even if Kindness is exploring the openness and clarity of his sound, he's being just as emotionally expressive. It takes a lot of bravery to be direct and work with others, especially when you felt like you couldn't in the past, and Kindess does so brilliantly on Otherness. —Cedar

Release date: February 25, 2014

Wild Beasts are one of Britain's best bands. The four-piece have been quietly evolving ever since they released their 2008 debut album Limbo, Panto, but, although critically acclaimed, they are criminally little-known in America. If anything can change that, it's their fourth album, Present Tense.

It is a wonderfully balanced, mature record that sees Wild Beasts blending bold new electronic elements with the detailed, imagery filled lyricism, and the rich vocals of Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming that have become the band's hallmarks. "This record is intended to engage with the world a bit," Fleming told us, and where previous albums looked inward, mining the darker corners of the human psyche, this time there is commentary on society (with "Wanderlust" being the most obvious example) alongside gorgeous love songs like "Mecca" and "Palace." This is indie-rock without being pretentious and pop music without being formulaic, and it's well worth your time.—Constant Gardner

Related: Wild Beasts on Their New Album and Why It's Okay to Wallow In The Misery of Life Sometime

Release date: April 8, 2014

RATKING rides an interesting wave when it comes to their place in the hip-hop scene. With everyone still trying to figure out where "real New York hip-hop is," Ratking's sound might be the closest to what New York actually sounds like. Not the stereotypical "real hip-hop" or backpack stuff, but New York right now, in 2014—a dizzying, slow-brewed melting pot of influences and aggression. While inherently "rap music," So It Goes seems to draw from a number of sounds, including dub and jungle, as well as the oppression and frustration that high school grads who aren't trying to 9-to-5 it experience on the regular.

And while there is a method to Ratking's madness, there are times when the album seems to falter. For every standout ("Canal," "Remove Ya," or "Snow Beach"), you get cuts that take more time to get used to ("Eat" or "Puerto Rican Judo"). How one of the albums true gems, "Cocoa '88," got relegated to "hidden track" status is beyond me; there's something about the droning piano loop and Wu-Tang kung-fu slices and samples building an eerie, epic soundbed that makes it insane to have this cookie residing under the pillow of "Take." Maybe that's the point, though, for as gritty and industrial as New York can be, there are hidden gems all over the Big Apple.—khal

Release date: March 17, 2014

British producer Wen's formative musical experiences came listening to grime freestyles on London pirate radio stations and dubstep sets by the likes of Youngsta and Kode 9. All that and more is reflected in his debut album Signals, which combines some of the dark lurch of and space of early dubstep with brilliantly used vocal samples and radio freestyle snippets to create a moody and expansive album. If you don't class yourself as an electronic music lover, but are a big fan of Burial, maybe this album can appeal on a wider scale in a similar way, thanks to its sense of space and atmosphere.

Really, this is an album that should be experienced in one sitting, but if you're pressed for time or wondering whether to dive in or not, highlights include "Intro (Family)," "Swingin'," and "Nightcrawler (Devils Mix)."—Constant Gardner

Release date: March 8, 2014

No matter how much we plead, Madvillainy 2 may never come out. But you know what? Maybe that doesn't matter as much any more, because we’ve got Piñata. The poignant combination of Freddie Gibbs and Madlib obviously brings to mind comparisons of the much-lauded Madvillain pairing, but it’s an entirely different beast. If Madvillainy was a comic book, then Piñata is the gritty graphic novel counterpart. Grounded in realities that are quite often foreign to Madlib’s vibrant production, Gibbs elevates some of Madlib’s best instrumentals with vivid storytelling. These aren’t fantasies that are fun to follow; they’re realities that are hard to look away from.—Joe Price

Release date: September 5, 2014

There have been a lot of strong female R&B and pop acts this year and Banks has proven that she deserves to be included in that list. Regardless of the many sub-genres her music may get boxed into, the foundation is still genuine R&B. However, it’s the various influences on her music that have shaped her debut studio album Goddess into such an impressive project. Working with producers like Sohn, Lil Silva and Shlohmo helped to create sounds that appeal to diverse listeners.

Banks’ songs range from emotional ballads to mid-tempo danceable tracks. In person, Banks may seem like a timid girl who would prefer to be private about her personal life but her songs reveal a lot. Standout tracks like “Warm Water” shine a light on her more vulnerable side while the title track “Goddess” showcases just how confident she can become when need be. The versatility in subject matter and sounds is what make Banks so alluring. And she proved that she could not only hold attention but also win over the hearts of listeners without the assistance of any guest appearances.—Adrienne Black

Release date: August 25, 2014

In speaking about his sophomore album Green Language, Rustie said the title is derived from bird language. Apparently there are many myths regarding the language of birds–if someone can understand birds, they are deemed to be wise. Bird language is also considered to be the perfect language. I'm no bird expert (or mythology expert, for that matter), but I love the idea of trying to make an album that in some way would mimic the "perfect" language of birds.

Is Rustie's album perfect? No; that distinction would definitely go to his debut, Glass Swords. Green Language operates in its own world, though. It has humungous moments–tracks like "Raptor" are exactly what we want to be hearing, and Danny Brown on "Attak" might be one of his best features. On the whole, the album would work perfectly in the 8-track days, where you're forced to consume the entire project on its own. Operating more as a four-course meal than a series of snacks, Rustie concocted a project that speaks in a singular voice, and who knows... maybe you ARE wiser for taking it all in and understanding what one of the premier producers out now is conveying.—khal

Release date: October 7, 2014

On the surface, Rome Fortune comes off as a sort of rap chameleon because he is easily able to adapt to whatever beat is thrown his way. But chameleons merely blend into their surroundings so that analogy wouldn’t be completely accurate because if there’s anything that Rome consistently does, it’s stand out from the crowd. And it’s difficult to not notice Rome Fortune—whether it be for his colorful beard, his attention grabbing album cover or just the music itself.

Throughout the year Rome Fortune has proven just how versatile he can be, and he continued to do so on his Small VVorld album. Rome has worked with producers whose sounds are all immensely different from one another and he never sounds out of place. The songs on Small VVorld range from catchy sing-a-longs like “FriendsMaybe” (featuring iLoveMakonnen) to dance-worthy tracks like “5 Second Rule” to tracks like “4 Seaons” with OG Maco that are equal parts gritty and hypnotic. Regardless of your personal taste in music, there’s a high chance that Rome Fortune has something on his album that you will enjoy. Small VVorld is the proper introduction to one of the artists who could dominate 2015.—Adrienne Black

Release date: June 10, 2014

It can be hard to challenge genre boundaries without becoming totally inaccessible. Clipping. aren’t exactly concerned with getting this balance “right,” they’re more intent on trying to bend the norms to their own ends. Paying tribute to the West Coast’s past whilse embracing all sorts of harsh noise, Clipping. have employed just the right amount of restraint  on CLPPNG following their unrelentingly severe debut, Midcity.

The beats are no less experimental, but they are less severe. The minimalism is used less to throw the listener off and more to build tension. This allows Daveed Diggs' lyricism to speak louder than before, with neither the production nor vocals outshining each other at any point. What makes the album so appealing, however, isn’t how it subverts rap's norms; it’s how it embraces them and pulls them into Clipping.'s uniquely twisted world.—Joe Price

Related: Clipping. are Finding The Sweet Spot Between Experimental and Accessible

Release date: August 19, 2014

Enigmatic Swedish duo JJ are unpredictable. They'll release some music, then disappear for months, or even years, then suddenly return with a song that repurposes contemporary rap lyrics and delivers them in airy vocals over lush production. On V, their third full-length album, JJ sound bigger than ever before. There are string sections, reverb drenched guitars, and vocals that echo as if they're being sung in a huge empty, stadium. The seemingly random hip-hop references, both in the lyrics and the production, still appear on some songs, but are less obvious—a listener who is unfamiliar with the band's previous music might not realize just how weird they can be. V does drag a little towards the end, but it also contains their best songs yet in its first half, especially the incredible "Dean & Me" and "All White Everything."—Constant Gardner

Release date: July 15, 2014

Ambition is something that's pretty hard to capitalize on. It can't be easy to deliver on such immense promise, but Kevin Abstract would love to have us all think otherwise. Ditching tropes in favor of experimental song structures and a knack for the unpredictable, MTV1987 is a fascinating portrait of an artist in love with his craft. The painstakingly crafted nature of the album doesn't paint a perfect character, but it's those charming imperfections that make it so worthy of praise. The ambition goes beyond being just admirable because Kevin goes above and beyond his aspirations, crafting an album far beyond his years.—Joe Price

Related: Kevin Abstract on MTV1987 and Remaining Authentic in the Internet Age

Release date: April 1, 2014

Mac DeMarco could get by on his charms alone, so the fact that his music is the most appealing thing about him says a lot. His sentimentality and honesty combines with his goofier qualities perfectly, and on Salad Days all of these qualities are bolder than they've ever been. It's an impressive showing that highlights the fact he's more capable than initially thought, experimenting within his lovable brand of jangle pop with some mesmerizing results. Salad Days proves that Mac is in this for the long run, and that he's far more than just a goofball.—Joe Price

Release date: September 23, 2014

Regardless of how you might feel about Yung Lean, it's easy to see that he resonates with large swathes of the current generation of internet-raised individuals. Is he ever going to be accepted by hip-hop as a whole? Probably not, but Unknown Memory proved that rap doesn't need to take itself so goddamn seriously all the time. His flow can be sloppy, and some of the rhymes don't even make sense, but honestly, none of that even matters when the beats and hooks are as incredible and anthemic as they are here. It's hard to even call this rap at times, but how it avoids genre conventions is how it remains so exciting throughout its running time. Rarely is music this fun without compromising individuality.—Joe Price

Release date: October 3, 2014

There's something to be said for delivering under pressure, and that's exactly what Cozz did with his debut project, Cozz & Effect. After smashing through the clutter and onto everyone's radars with "Dreams" in March, the young LA emcee was quickly swept up by J. Cole's Dreamville Records, and with that, the anticipation for whatever he was to deliver next rose to new heights. Though the 12-track album is far from groundbreaking, it's a well-crafted, concise introduction to an up-and-comer who has the potential to be one of the next greats rising out of the West Coast. —Tim Larew

Release date: February 18, 2014

Angel Olsen is a force of nature—you might not know it on sight, but the cat-eyed girl from St. Louis can wail, a fact made abundantly clear on "Forgiven, Forgotten," her album's opening track. Burn Your Fire For No Witness revolves around Olsen and her guitar for eleven songs that run the gamut from quivering and thumb-strummed ("Iota") to full-throated war cries ("Hi-Five"). This is lo-fi at its best, intensely personal tunes that stick in your craw and take you on a sonic journey that never repeats itself.

Her voice has an edge to it, a self-assurance that can carry a song on its own—just last month I saw her perform to a crowd of 200 with just a guitar as company. The performance was spellbinding, evidenced by the silence in the room that began every time she started to sing. Her songwriting is similarly uncluttered, devoid of horns or strings or even many harmonies. This was her second album, and she's already started writing a third. Topping Burn Your Fire seems unlikely, but I've learned not to make snap judgments when it comes to Angel Olsen.—Graham Corrigan

Release date: October 6, 2014

Jessie Ware's debut album Devotion was a tough project to follow. With that sophomore album pressure on her shoulders, it was time for Ware to show whether or not her stories of love and heartbreak were enough to hold the attention of her listeners. She stuck with the subject of love on Tough Love. It's a timeless topic that you can't imagine Ware not singing about.

But while Tough Love is about a topic that is so ubiquitous, Jessie Ware used this opportunity to push interesting production choices forward, particularly on songs like the smoldering, blatantly sexy "Kind Of... Sometimes... Maybe" and the disco-inspired "Want Your Feeling." It's not Devotion. What is a constant, though, is that Jessie Ware has one of the best voices in the game, and with Tough Love, she proves once again that she's an undeniably talented artist. Lucky for us, Jessie Ware understands that there's always room to grow.—Joyce

Release date: March 18, 2014

There's a belief in hip-hop today that more is more. That adding unexpected sound effects, layers of percussion, extra loud bass, and progressive auto-tune will amplify the impact of that record. Sometimes, they're right—Yeezus is a hip-hop Pollock. But in boasting the genius of productions like this, we start to distance ourselves from what hip-hop started as: a form of storytelling. And often those stories are most effectively told when void of complexity.

It's this mentality at the forefront of YG's My Krazy Life. With a clear and concise voice, the album tells a compelling narrative of YG's past and present, accentuated by colorful skits (like those in fellow Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city) weaved throughout. Add some massive production from DJ Mustard, and you’ve got one hell of a debut.—Katie K.

Release date: November 10, 2014

Partially mysterious NY/LA duo 18+ have been uploading mixtapes to their Soundcloud since 2011, leading to a variety of fashion and art commissions. On their debut album, they crystallize the best parts of those mixtapes into unique pop songs that are unsettling and tinged with menace even as the hooks and melodies are immediately catchy.

The production on songs like “Forgiven,” “All The Time,” and the standout “Crow” references contemporary, beat driven pop, R&B, and rap norms, but pairs it with obtuse lyrics (“You tell me that my brother is your number one lover, but I want it bad.”) and strange squawks. As soon as you think you’re starting to understand 18+, they flip the script on you, flowing, for example, from the shiny synths of “Dry” into the spare, straightforward, and enchanting lo-fi folk of “Almost Leaving.” Dealing with sexuality and the body in a startlingly frank manner, and concentrating on the production as much as the vocals, 18+’s Trust was one of 2014’s surprise packages, a diamond in the rough for those craving pop music with an edge.—Constant Gardner

Release date: March 3, 2014

At this point, Pharrell’s "Happy" has basically transcended music. The lead single from G I R L dropped in late 2013 and spread literally everywhere, peaking at No. 1 in over 30 countries and powering the 41-year-old's latest solo album to the forefront of all music-related conversation. G I R L came out in early March, but it might as well have been the middle of summer because that's where listeners were transported to upon pressing play. P's impeccable falsetto and the lush, organic production (much of which mines '70s disco for inspiration) carries the album, and features from Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk, and Alicia Keys are effective and tasteful. Pharrell's been making hits for others for two decades, but with G I R L, he reminded fans that he can do it all himself with the best of them, too.—Tim Larew

Release date: June 19, 2014

“Bitter Raps,” with its sing-song flows, bright synths, and witty social (media) commentary was the song that grabbed our attention, but it just shows one side of Boogie, a multi-faceted artist with a lot to say. Showing us yet another side of the flourishing L.A. rap scene, Boogie has the vision and ability to execute a project that is packed with those personal details and stories that draw you in but leaves you thinking about larger issues (e.g. the final verse of “Still Be Homies,” the whole of “Black Males”).

The choice of beats is another high-point, keeping the album cohesive with production that mixes hard drums with airy, delicate synths and vocal samples. Boogie gives these beats space to breathe, confident that you’re eagerly awaiting his next verse, rather than looking for a reason to stop listening. Poignant and political without ever being preachy, and always engaging and fresh, we can only hope that Boogie’s Thirst 48 is a prelude to future greatness in the same way that Kendrick’s O(verly) D(edicated) and Section.80 were.—Constant Gardner

Release date: August 12, 2014

Alabama-born, Chicago-bred Mick Jenkins is in possession of a deep, sonorous voice. It cuts through the hazy, brooding beats on The Water(S) like a scythe, and the message Jenkins relays stands out all the starker as a result. Chicago is the blood-soaked setting for The Water(S), and Jenkins sets the city's continuing addiction to gun violence square in his sights. Every song speaks to a Chicago parched for some sort of change—"Dehydration," "Jazz," and "Martyrs" are some of the best—and Jenkins is relentless throughout, a rapid-fire through that leaves no room for penance. In terms of beat selection and flow, Mick Jenkins' influences tend towards Kendrick Lamar and Big K.R.I.T., but to his credit, Jenkins does both legends justice by putting his own twist on the lessons he learned.—Graham Corrigan

Release date: October 7, 2014

Flying Lotus emerged out of nowhere touting a new album with a jarring title: You're Dead! While the title started out as a joke between Thundercat and FlyLo regarding how ill the music being made was, it morphed into a project that attempted to create what one goes through at the moment of death. Through layers of free jazz, abstract hip-hop, and moody atmosphere, FlyLo seems to capture something we'll never understand during our time on this earth. Weird, right? When the album stayed on task (the Kendrick Lamar-featured "Never Catch Me" is one of the most beautiful things to be released in 2014), it was golden. When it wasn't, that's okay; with a running time of just over 38 minutes, this is a sprint from life to the afterlife, flashing all of the fear, sex, humor, pain, confusion, and life right before your dying eyes.—khal

Release date: December 15, 2014

After one week in the ether, we've already heard much about D'Angelo's Black Messiah: its politics, its musical lineage, the 14-year wait and its attendant weight. Much of the praise for the album is well-deserved, if rushed, but the mad-dash to opine on this long-overdue masterpiece shouldn't strike you as yet another cycle of meaningless hashtags and internet hype. Drop the cynicism.

The revelry surrounding Black Messiah isn't a self-indulgent call for attention like so much of the cultural preening we're exposed to today. Instead, it's a much-needed celebration of a now-mythologized artist. Sparked by the recent turmoil in Ferguson, MO and Staten Island, NY, D'Angelo released the album as a response—a way for him to "speak out," according to his tour manager, Alan Leeds. While doing so, he leaves no stone unturned, touching on black oppression ("Crawling through a systematic maze to demise / Pain in our eyes"), police brutality ("All we wanted was a chance to talk / Instead all we got was outlined in chalk"), and even climate change ("Carbon pollution heating up the air / Do we really know? Do we even care?).

Drawing images of acid rain, haunting church bells, and senseless violence, D'Angelo sharpens our focus on the dystopian elements joined with America's bleak social, political, and economic inequalities. Still, though, despite the conditions of its release, there are plenty of moments within Black Messiah that are a cause for joy: the raunchy sexuality of "Sugah Daddy"; Prince's subtle influence on tracks like "Another Life" and "The Charade"; every call to action in the name of love; every sign of hope; and the warm vibrancy of this entire album. "I know that you will make it to the promised land," D'Angelo declares on "Prayer," assuring his audience that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Most important, by emphasizing the significance of love during hardship, he reminds us how that end can only be reached together.—Gus Turner

Release date: June 23, 2014

Tom Krell's third full-length as How To Dress Well poses a pretty big question with its title. The record never really gets around to answering it, but in its attempts,  it does say a lot about love and relationships in general. This is personal music that's open enough to apply to anyone on any level. There are no absolutes, but there are up and downs that speak volumes about the ever-changing conditions of the human heart. It also helps that the record is full of some of the most exciting pop production all year.—Joe Price

Release date: August 18, 2014

With Days Before Rodeo, Travi$ Scott has established himself as one of the premier rapper/producers in the game. Days Before Rodeo proves that Scott is able to handle an entire album, and he does so while maintaining his creativity and desire to explore new sounds. There is nothing safe or stagnant about Scott's direction here—everything he makes feels fresh, alive, and full of youthful energy.

Features from Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, Big Sean, and Migos help to round out the album. "Skyfall," featuring Young Thug, is an echoing, drugged-out anthem that belongs in a temple. "I don't wanna buy no more / Your shit don't get me high no more," moans Scott before Thug comes in yelping and shrieking and doing Thug things. It's a highlight on the project, and sounds like nothing else out there right now. In 2014, hip-hop is as innovative and exciting as ever, and Travi$ Scott is still managing to sound like a true innovator. And these are just the days before the rodeo.—John Walaszek

Release date: December 1, 2014

Mr. Mitch’s debut album, released by Mike Paradinas’ always open-minded and on-point label Planet Mu, can be loosely classified as instrumental grime, but that only tells a small part of the story. At its core, Parallel Memories is an album that creates tangible emotion and subtle beauty out of as few elements as possible. A track like “Intense Faces,” for example, uses little more than a child-like glockenspiel sound, a few clicks, and some drums, but it's still more likely to make me feel something than a million "emotional" Taylor Swift songs.

The album is best consumed as a whole, with the sudden urgency of the vocals on “Don’t Leave” and “Denial” hitting that much harder after the gentle melodic beauty of “Sweet Boy Code” or the horror show creep of “Feel (Don’t Ask).” If you’re still awake at 3 a.m., or have just got back from a party and need some company, Mr. Mitch’s experiments in electronic emotion might be just what you need.—Constant Gardner

Release date: July 4, 2014

While the Chicago drill scene has slowed down as new sounds take over, the arrival of Tony solidifies King Louie as the Godfather of the genre. From "Live & Die in Chicago," Louie's pledge of allegience to the city, to "Till I meet Selena," a short, wild, war cry to his enemies, Tony is a full, coherent album that adds to Louie's legacy. The project is very Chicago-centered and Louie acts as more of a revolutionary looking to document the situation and spark change instead of an instigator. But there's still also a lot of fun throughout the album, especially at the end, when "MF" sends the listener out on a high note and gets one ready to get drunker than a muhfucka.—John Walaszek

Release date: March 7, 2014

The songs that are the most immediate are usually the songs that you get sick of the quickest. If you’re singing along on first listen, you’re probably going to be complaining about having that stupid song stuck in your head three weeks later. This is typically how things go, but it’s not the case with MØ’s No Mythologies to Follow.

The Danish singer’s debut album is packed with hook-driven hits like “Pilgrim,” “Don’t Wanna Dance,” “Waste of Time,” “Glass,” and the Diplo-produced “XXX 88.” The album blends of-the-moment production with worldly influences for a distinctively current sound, and this makes sense—MØ is for the kids. Her music is young in spirit (even her name is a Danish word for “maiden”), and all that energy carries through in songs that are unmistakably modern. It’s hard to say how MØ’s debut album will age, but the best part about youth is enjoying the moment.—Confusion

Release date: May 9, 2014

Little Dragon’s new album Nabuma Rubberband is what fans of the band had come to expect—a collection of warbly, pop-laced songs with sensual R&B and uptempo dance music influences. In this case, predictability is not a bad thing.

Little Dragon demonstrate their versatility immediately on the album, with the grim, menacing "Mirror" ("Did you lose your playful mood?" Nagano whispers) leading right into "Klapp Klapp," a sexy dance song that doesn't try too hard to be a dance song. Across its full runtime, Nabuma Rubberband reaches the band's mainstream ambitions without losing Little Dragon's unique energy, an undoubtedly difficult balancing act that probably couldn't have happened this perfectly at any other point in their long career. In these difficult times for the music industry, a major label debut is often a recipe for disaster. Cheers to Little Dragon for doing it right.—Joyce

Release date: June 10, 2014

When it comes to most dancehall, putting out a single that takes over the clubs for most of the year is the main goal. But once another hot artist comes along, that hit is a thing of the past. Dancehall—and the music world in general—moves at a pace too fast to keep up with these days, and that’s why it’s important to provide more than just singles. After many years of hard work, Popcaan has finally done just that.

Popcaan’s debut album, Where We Come From, provides just the right blend of island vibes and gritty, street attitude. With just one listen you can feel the rhythm of each song beginning to force you to at least tap your foot along as you try to focus on the lyrics. Popcaan’s lyrical content ranges from the stress of living in the ghetto to wanting to pay for his boo’s visa, proving that even the toughest guys have a soft spot, at least sometimes.

Sonically, Where We Come From incorporates hip-hop inspired drums with bass lines ready for the dancehall. The variety of sound on his debut album is already helping Popcaan reach a broader audience, as he brings two almost separate fan bases together in a way that most dancehall artists can't. The Pusha T feature (on "Hustle") doesn't hurt, and the fact that the production strays away from the year’s hottest (but overused) riddims allows the album to have real lasting power. If someone had told us at the beginning of the year that a Jamaican dancehall artist would have one of the year's best pop albums, we wouldn't have believed them, but that's exactly what Where We Come From is.—Adrienne Black

Release date: May 2, 2014

Love is a sort of all-encompassing behavior; it's defined by its own rules and patterns of movement, subtlety, and timeliness. So, fresh from what was described as "the biggest breakup of her life," heartache is perhaps what compels Lykke Li to dispense with nuance and to simply tell you how she feels.

Throughout her latest album, I Never Learn, the Swedish singer-songwriter is unafraid to be direct and to bare herself through her music. She recycles well-worn phrases ("There'll be no rest for the wicked," "I'm never gonna love again") and submerges nearly every track under sentimental arrangements: orchestral strings, haunting reverb, even gospel choirs. Strangely, I Never Learn bears a resemblance to some of Madonna's strongest and most romantic work—albums like True Blue and Like A Prayer, which were unabashed in their mission to exult the values of ideal love. I Never Learn is a sort of response to that evangelicalism, a tale of a woman who strives to find true romance despite the lessons that she's had to learn along the way. Hence, the straightforward nature of the album.

Lykke Li doesn't have time to mess around with pretension or subtlely; let's cut the bullshit. She's hit rock-bottom; now she wants to get back to paradise. I Never Learn allows us to see where Lykke Li has to go in order to get there. The religious exuberance of "Heart of Steel," the title track's devastating harmonization between vocals and strings: these are moments she lets you live in; they're secret places. That's consistently Lykke Li's most arresting quality, one that you hope she never unlearns: honesty, and her willingness to let you in.—Gus Turner

Release date: September 22, 2014

Fans of SBTRKT surely anticipated a great album after the success of his self-titled debut. However, Wonder Where We Land may have actually exceeded those expectations. On the surface, the various guest appearances are enough to spark intrigue but listening to the album in full—hopefully at high volume—makes you realize that these guest artists are only a minor factor of what really makes this album great.

If there’s one significant difference with this new album, it’s knowing how great each song would sound live. The production on Wonder Where We Land is so grandiose that you can’t help but imagine the live experience in your head as it plays in your headphones. Another not always obvious but very important factor is the way the tracks were ordered on the album. Each track flows into the next in a way that almost forces you to keep it in rotation for as long as possible. The mellow, mid-tempo tracks like “If It Happens” featuring Sampha and “Higher” featuring Raury help to create a necessary breather between the more upbeat standout tracks like “Temporary View” and “New Dorp. New York” featuring Ezra Koenig. Even with the variation of tempos, Wonder Where We Land remains magnetically energetic throughout.—Adrienne Black

Release date: July 14, 2014

Jungle wasn't necessarily shrouded in mystery, but they certainly did keep us guessing for a very long time. It wasn't until they started going on tour that we finally figured it out: Jungle consisted of two people—Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson—backed by a band when playing live. And one thing that McFarland and Watson clearly understood was the idea of reinvention. They breathed new life into that classic old school sound, except it wasn't as simple as just dusting off an old vinyl. Their debut album Jungle sounds like a throwback, inspired by something you couldn't really put a finger on. That's because it's not the product of just one genre. Jungle is the result of masterfully mixing soul, R&B, disco, and funk together, packaged in a way that's completely new. They make music your parents could have loved, only digestible for a society so heavily invested on hip-hop and electronic.

"Platoon" was a fantastic introduction to the collective, but it easily could have been a one-hit wonder, but songs like "Busy Earnin'" and "The Heat" showed that Jungle wasn't only consistently good, but also that they had the perfect equation for success, with their carefully controlled aesthetic included as one of the variables. It'll be interesting to see what Jungle will come up with next, particularly whether or not this soundscape is the one they're going to stick with. But far as debuts go, Jungle is, hands down, one of the best of 2014.—Joyce

Release date: September, 29, 2014

This is only the beginning of Rich Gang. The chemistry between Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan is something special, and having London On Da Track supplying beats is fail-proof. At worst, they make a non-hit. With Birdman making sure these young Atlanta artists have access to all the resources they need in order to make music at the highest level, Rich Gang can't lose.

The thing about this first project is that it doesn’t even feel like it took much effort. It seems like Thug and Quan spent a bunch of time in the studio, and a handful of tracks got scooped up and mastered for this. And there are probably dozens more. We’ve already heard random leaks that easily could have been included, and we’ve already been promised a second Rich Gang tape is on the way.

Thug and Quan came up in Future’s Atlanta—they’re both are capable of taking a simple phrase and twisting it into a weird and perfect hook. This album is full of hits, but the real magic comes in flashes. It’s those moments when the energy goes from 0 to 100, when Thug’s register suddenly skyrockets into a squeal or when Quan’s singing suddenly feels less like a rap song than a war cry. The energy is electric and in a world of manufactured rap stars and constant trend-chasing, it feels incredibly natural.

The downside of this tape is that it’s too long, but cut the fat and you’ve got one of the best albums of the year and a glimpse into Atlanta’s boiling potential.—Confusion

Release date: July 18, 2014

The lead-up to Trouble in Paradise was full of conflict for La Roux, aka Elly Jackson. She split with her writing partner, started having anxiety attacks, and she claims that at one point, she was physically unable to sing. Like, she opened her mouth and no sound came out. She thought her career was done.

Sonically, this album is warm, tropical, and instantly gratifying. Songs like "Uptight Downtown," "Sexotheque," and "Kiss and Not Tell" have the kinds of choruses that you'd expect from radio pop tunes about dancing, loving, and enjoying life. There is very little conflict going on here musically. But beneath the surface, Elly's troubles weave their way into these sunny retro pop songs. "He wants to know what it feels like to mess around, mess around / She wants to know what it feels like to settle down, settle down / He's got the money but, oh it's not enough," Jackson sings on "Sexotheque." Amidst the perfect hooks, bright melodies, and sharp production, there is turmoil that gives these songs a depth that's difficult to find in such gratifying pop music. It also makes this one of the most appropriately titled albums of the year.—Confusion

Release date: February 25, 2014

Usually, an album described as “well-rounded” is one that meddles in the middle ground, staying safely from any extremes. St. Vincent’s self-titled masterpiece achieves balance with a different approach. Through striking contrast and wild variation, St. Vincent made an uncompromising album that, when taken as a whole, is just about as well-rounded as you can get.

The album opens with the robotically psychedelic “Rattlesnake,” goes into the high-energy, jagged pop rock of the lead single “Birth In Reverse,” and then slows down for the sailing “Prince Johnny,” arguably the prettiest song Annie Clark has ever written. The album continues on this path of highs and lows; beautiful vocals and grating electronics; aggressive guitar work and songwriting so gorgeous that it’s amazing some of these melodies are new to recorded music.

With this album, Annie told The Guardian that she wanted to live at “the intersection of accessible and lunatic.” The thing is, this intersection isn’t a fixed place. In a post-Yeezus world, it’s obvious that sometimes the best albums are the ones that venture into unexplored territory, forcing disparate elements together. St. Vincent isn’t just living at the intersection of accessible and lunatic, she’s clearing new paths that connect those worlds.—Confusion

Release date: October 7, 2014

Caribou doesn’t have anything to prove at this point. He’s explored and mixed gentle IDM, psychedelic electronica, lo-fi pop, and more over five albums as Caribou and Manitoba, and even made an album of organic house and techno as Daphni. On top of that he is a highly respected DJ, and now he’s a father too.

Dan Snaith told us that in making Our Love he was thinking about the music that he wanted to be around in the first years of his daughter’s life. Approaching his music with “the intention of making a really personal record that’s warm and generous,” the result was an album that is overall more accessible than anything that he’s made before. Our Love has won Caribou a whole new set of fans, without alienating those who have been with him since he was releasing as Manitoba.

On Our Love, Snaith incorporates elements of much of the music he’s made before. You hear the influence of Daphni and Snaith’s DJ sets on “Mars” and “Our Love,” hints of Swim’s sunny, psychedelic swirl on “Silver” and “Dive,” and even Jessy Lanza’s delicate R&B on “Second Chance." The result is an album that is stylistically varied but still cohesive, immersive and, ultimately, deeply personal.—Constant Gardner

Release date: October 24, 2014

Run the Jewels is a powerful pairing, a dynamic duo, the "top tag team for two summers." Two proper albums into their career together, El-P and Killer Mike are driving a Mack truck into complacent emcees, loading bazookas, and storming city halls. They are the pot boiling over, above any "here" that you've had it up to.

On Run the Jewels 2, they throw everything at the wall, producing quick-witted jabs, searing punchlines, and beats that sound like exploding kitchens. El-P clowns and castigates every unlucky shmuck standing in his way. Killer Mike illustrates vivid pictures of the "AmeriKKKan" struggle. Zack De La Rocha flexes so hard that you can hear his veins popping. But the album's apex is, inarguably,"Oh My Darling Don't Cry," perhaps the greatest track that the two have ever put to wax. Its tangled production and middle-finger verses are loud and unapologetic, while the near-end's beat switch has the same effect of using a sledgehammer to open an "In Case of Emergency Break Glass" box. If this description strikes you as particularly violent, good. RTJ's political conscience demands it. With fists flying, Killer Mike and El-P remain unafraid to call out fuccbois, pig-headed police, and kangaroo courts. Listen at your own risk.—Gus Turner

Release date: August 6, 2014

The crackling whispers, the teary vocals, the sounds of breakdown: there are plenty of moments throughout LP1 that can be read as signs of weakness or peril. But FKA twigs is no damsel in distress—the designation is too simplistic for the personal battle she's waging with herself. Indeed, from beginning to end, positions of power are constantly being negotiated within her full-length debut. On one hand, the album works as meditation on love, passion, desire, and possession; on the other, it's a field guide for identifying poisonous chemistry. "I love another, and thus I hate myself," she sings on "Preface"—a thick, sludgey opener that features an assist from Lucki Eck$.

From the start, the conflict is clear. Hence, when twigs asserts herself as the "master of all your needs" ("Hours") or declares that she "can treat you better than her" ("Two Weeks"), we can understand her obsession with retaining the upper-hand. She's working twice as hard to assure you of her dominance as she is of herself. Like any hopeless lover, she's trying to let the other person get lost inside of her. However, when those mutual impulses begin to fade, the resulting possession, paranoia, and heartache run their course like diseased blood. Complemented by cold synths and pounding 808s, LP1 is a blueprint for every bad relationship you've ever been in; a timeline starting and ending with selfish emotion, regrettable sex, and less-than-pure motivations; a last gasp for the marriage of lust and desperation, and all communicated in a beautifully modern way.—Gus Turner

Related: 12 Reasons FKA twigs is About to Be a Star