Top 20 Albums of 2023

Contributed by Marisa Kalil-Barrino, Beatriz Ceita da Costa, Justin A. Davis, Marissa Duldulao, and Victoria Hernandez

2023 was a year of reinvention, experimentation, and genre-bending for music. We heard collaborations we’d never thought of, dynamic beats paired with unexpected artists, and introductions to new and ever-evolving genres. Here are 1202 MAGAZINE’s top 20 album picks of 2023.

1 Lahai — Sampha

At precisely 41 minutes, Sampha’s sophomore album, Lahai, is 1202 MAGAZINE’s number-one album of the year. After a six-year hiatus since Process, the album is inspired by Oumou Sangaré’s six-minute song “Worotan.” Alongside a visual poem and Sampha’s directorial debut, he creates his music in a dream-like state behind a synthesizer and a kora. The album delivers what one would expect from the musician – touching tracks that poetically portray his unique human experiences with his vulnerable vocals complementing them. The skilled storyteller takes listeners through his journey as a first-time father honoring his grandfather with the 14-song album.

2 nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana — Bad Bunny

Whether you believe it or not, Bad Bunny rules the world. Even if you haven’t heard this album (which you probably should listen to if you haven’t already), you’ve heard his single “MONACO” take over almost every TikTok sound. The popular reggaeton artist made nadie sabe lo sue va a pasar mañana, his fifth studio album, his most experimental yet. He begins the album with dramatic violins and continuous bars, leading into pop, some Jersey Club, rap, and Latin trap. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, Bad Bunny will have you nothing less than addicted to this project. The album is thematic, continuing his love for his homeland, Puerto Rico. Benito is also more braggadocious. He raps about beautiful women, his money, and his crazy antics.

3 UTOPIA — Travis Scott

Utopia immerses listeners into Travis Scott’s illusive world. With features including Playboi Carti, Drake, Teezo Touchdown, SZA, Beyonce, Bad Bunny, Westside Gunn, and more, the album gives a feeling of euphoria. The timeless production is reminiscent of Kanye West's sonics while comprising genre-less beats. While the reviews say otherwise, this album is number three on our list. Utopia doesn’t have the most smooth transitions, but no song is skippable. Whether you’re in the mood to rage or chill out, this album is nothing less than a vibe. We hear Frank Ocean-inspired sounds on “MY EYES” and Kanye West's sonics on “CIRCUS MAXIMUS,” with distinguishing Travis Scott melodies and harmonies.

4 Raven — Kelela

After her six-year hiatus since her debut album Take Me Apart, Raven is centered around queerness and womanhood. She sensually combines R&B, club, electronic, and house music. Throughout the album, Kelela sees herself and the world around her in a new light. She’s more distinguished, more confident, and more rhythmic. Her singles “On the Run” and “Contact” bring vigorous drums and bass with production credits, including Junglepussy, Kaytranada, Bambii, LSDXOXO, and Nguzunguzu. Raven puts you in a trance with synths, guitars, dancehall music, and reminiscent sounds of Black electronic music. Kelela’s self-reflection, soul-searching, and self-expression show her revival through her artistry.

5 LVL5 P1 — Bktherula

Bktherula and her music are a heavy-hitting powerhouse. Right off the bat, she starts LVL5 P1 with the hard-hitting track “TAN,” where we hear her fast-paced rap flow to a gritty beat. Throughout the rest of the tracks, such as “CRAZY GRL” and “PSSYONFT,” we hear an array of dreamy and energetic sounds. Bktherula goes bar-for-bar in her lyricism, as her profound style represents her resilience and boss-ass bitch mentality. Her career has been leveling up with each exceptional project she puts out as she confidently grows with her music. Since the release of LVL5 P1, we’ve been eager for part two.

6 How Do You Sleep At Night? — Teezo Touchdown

We all know him as the man with the nails in his hair (they weigh more than his head, by the way). Hailing from Beaumont, Texas, Teezo Touchdown had one of the most iconic debut album releases of our time. His music is as striking as his style. He’s known for his football pads, leather, and eye black alongside his emphatic voice. How Do You Sleep At Night? is Teezo Touchdown embodied. With features like Janelle Monaé, Fousheé, and Isaiah Rusk, he incorporates pop punk, R&B, rap-rock, and a touch of Texas. He was an underground artist for many years, and How Do You Sleep At Night? quickly brought him to the top, with co-signs including Madonna and Drake.

7 Ganger — Veeze

The Seven Mile pop star will always put on for his city. Ganger is all about repping Detroit, getting money, and just being a real one. Veeze’s music has laid-back cadences, idiosyncratic flows, and unique lyrics that have caught the attention of music lovers worldwide — leading to sold-out shows countrywide. Ganger made it to almost every publication’s top albums of the year, with collaborations including Lucki, Icewear Vezzo, Babyface Ray, Lil Yachty, and Lil Uzi Vert. In October, Veeze released a deluxe version of the album, ringing in even more acclaim from critics and fans. The album is a timeless Detroit staple that pushes boundaries for all rappers, especially those from Detroit.

8 Fountain Baby — Amaarae

Boasting certified hits from “Princess Going Digital” and “Wasted Eyes” to “Co-Star” and “Big Steppa,” Fountain Baby is a genre-bending project that blends Afrobeats with quintessential elements of pop and R&B. In 2020, the Ghanaian-American artist said she aimed to become the “African pop princess.” The Ghanaian-American artist showcases how the title is her’s to claim. Throughout the album, Aamarae stunts her luxurious lifestyle, abundance, and hard work. Fountain Baby has kora, steel pan drums, harps, and cultural sounds. You’re probably wondering what the fountain in Fountain Baby is, and it’s a vagina. But it’s also a powerful woman who wants and deserves everything.

9 Gumbo — Young Nudy

To this day, Young Nudy’s knack for naming his songs after food is greatly appreciated as it’s an indicator that another hit is on the horizon. With Gumbo, all thirteen tracks follow this theme, including “Peaches & Eggplants,” leading the list of best songs on the album, succeeded by “Passion Fruit” and “Pancake,” to name a few. After his fourth studio album, the East Atlanta rapper creates eminent flows over keyboards and snare-heavy beats. Young Nudy may be one of the most characterizing rappers in the game today. After the first note in Gumbo, you know it’s him. Gumbo is accompanied by Key Glock, 21 Savage, and production credits with Pi’erre Bourne. Young Nudy and this album remain unconventional in the rap scene. He’s known to stay true to his sound and be the “slimy,” experimental musician.

10 Gold — Cleo Sol

Known for her soulful vocals and heartfelt lyrics, riveting R&B artist Cleo Sol has been making waves in the industry since her debut EP in 2018. In 2023, the British singer-songwriter returned with two studio albums, Heaven and Gold, released just weeks apart, with the former featuring the gripping single “Go Baby” and Cleo’s take on modern jazz and Neo-soul. Cleo Sol's voice is unmatched at number 10 on our list. She hits unthinkable notes to the human ears that seem impossible out of the human throat. The West London native collaborated with producer and life partner Inflo to achieve each song. The album is moody. It’s reminiscent of her inspirations, like Erykah Badu, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye.

11 Pink Tape — Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert is nothing but intentional. They’re a punk who is also a rap connoisseur. Pink Tape delivers a blend of rock, rap, and hip-hop. The project features notable collaborations with artists like Travis Scott, Snow Strippers, and Nicki Minaj, along with producers of the Working On Dying collective BNYX, Brandon Finessin, and Oogie Mane. The Philadelphia artist has opened doors in hip-hop culture for those who are also alternative and punk and want to be unapologetically themselves. The album has continued to top the charts over the past few months with tracks “Just Wanna Rock,” “Endless Fashion” with Nicki Minaj, and “Aye” featuring Travis Scott. Pink Tape is fun, quirky, crazy, and filled with an abundance of boisterous ballads perfect for any party.

12 Summer’s Mine — Babyface Ray

Detroit has always been an unspoken blueprint for rap and hip-hop music, and Babyface Ray is one to credit for that. Detroit culture is all about grinding in the winter to have fun in the summer. And the summer always belongs to Babyface Ray. Throughout Summer’s Mine, he maintains his composed yet captivating rap flows that adapted him from a Detroit legend to an international star. While this album feels like the epitome of “being outside,” Ray also opens up and becomes more vulnerable as he confronts hardships, paranoia, and haters continuously trying to bring him down.

13 And Then You Pray For Me — Westside Gunn

It’s a good thing And Then You Pray For Me is timeless; it’s Westside Gunn’s final studio album. From now on, he plans to release spontaneous singles and projects with fewer than ten songs on his own time. The Buffalo, New York native puts a modern twist to ‘90s beats and flows. The album is a feature-heavy masterpiece, including JID, Rick Ross, Ty Dolla $ign, Boldy James, KayCyy, his collective, Griselda, and more. You also hear familiar and evocative producer tags like DJ Drama, DJ Holiday, and Trap-A-Holics over Gunn’s unmissable voice, similar to hip-hop in the early 2000s. In this project and his previous ones, Gunn has set the standard for emerging artists as he’s one of the only rappers to collaborate with renowned past, present, and future artists.

14 Aftërlyfe — Yeat

No one clocked Yeat’s versatility until he released Aftërlyfe in February. He’s low-key, but his music, indeed, isn’t. The album alters between rage and Yeat’s newfound mastery of rapping on a dance and rock beat. Aftërlyfe is for the kids who love to mosh, angsty Gen Z’ers on TikTok defying the system and doing whatever they want. Yeat went ultra-modern on this album, just like this style and mysterious demeanor. Most of the time, we don’t know what he’s up to, but when he released this album, we got a glimpse of his materialistic lifestyle, drug-friendly antics, and always being prepared for the worst. Aftërlyfe doesn’t shy from his signature bells, bass-heavy beats, and hunger for always getting money.

15 Heaven knows — PinkPantheress

For a sophomore album, Heaven knows quickly became a fan-favorite album combining bedroom pop, UK R&B, and garage music. Throughout this project, PinkPantheress brings back early 2000s pop sounds that give a nostalgic listening experience. The production contains electronic music blended with raw instrumentals like organs and guitars, giving listeners a nightclub and party feel. Her love for songwriting also allowed her to take the next big step in being vulnerable with lyrics as she evokes deep romantic feelings in each track. The album features icons Central Cee, Ice Spice, and Rema, along with production collaborators BNYX and Cash Cobain.

16 The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We — Mitski

Mitski went in a new direction in this cohesive country-folk album. As always, she tapped into her peak sad girl music. The album is an up-and-down roller coaster of emotions that connects the audience to a deeper level of womanhood. She approaches introspection as each track deeply represents self-discovery and self-worth within her lyrics. She incorporates various instruments that help connect each track to her reflective emotions. The project also allows listeners to feel her feelings, genuinely inviting them to explore their thoughts and emotions. Mitski creates alluring music relating to universal experiences and monumental moments with themes of relationships, psychological growth, and identity.

17 Space Heavy — King Krule

As a father, King Krule has found some light at the end of the tunnel. However, he remains cynical and existential when it comes to almost anything else. Space Heavy continues the gritty, low-note, and guitar-heavy motif throughout. King Krule does not go about making music gracefully. He’s still significantly melancholic, but his way of expressing his emotions on this album and previous projects has pushed musical boundaries and genre-blending. Space Heavy is haunting and soothing at the same time as he sings about the collapse of the world and his love life around him.

18 BUSINESS IS BUSINESS — Young Thug

Despite being in prison, Young Thug refuses to abandon his fans and haters. Although this album has mixed reviews from many publications, BUSINESS IS BUSINESS has made it to the list. The spontaneous album pays homage to Thugger’s loyalty in the big house, how he’s still flexing and showing gratitude to those supporting him, and what’s next for his music career during his trial. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS incorporates popular features like Drake, Future, 21 Savage, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, BSlime, Lil Gotit, and Nate Ruess. We hear Thugger’s consistent trademark sound, including Metro Boomin’s version of the album that adds a twist to each beat.

19 A Great Chaos — Ken Carson

Ken Carson is always ready to rage, and so are we. The Opium rapper has created a new genre for Atlanta rappers in A Great Chaos. The album is dark, unholy, crazy, and moshpit-friendly. Under Playboi Carti’s wing, Carson finds his signature sound on this album, making him a viral sensation on TikTok and streaming platforms. A Great Chaos is much more sequential than his previous albums, with intense beats from producers Starboy and Outtatown, Working on Dying’s F1LTHY, Lucian, Ssor.t, Lukrative, and more. This is only the beginning of Carson’s career. Still, he’s already off to a memorable start with his idiosyncratic sonics and well-rounded collaborations like Opium’s Destroy Lonely and Lil Uzi Vert.

20 Jaguar II — Victoria Monét

Victoria Monét came in hot…and it was a long time coming. After making music for almost ten years, the Atlanta singer broke ground for pop and R&B artists with her popular single “On My Mama,” landing in the middle of the album. Last but not least on our list, Jaguar II integrates soul, reggae, Motown, and funk with notes of her inspirations, Quincy Jones and Smokey Robinson. Soon after releasing Jaguar II, Monét was nominated for multiple Grammys, going to show how much she’s evolved in her artistry and musical presence. The album makes you feel like you’re in a seductive movie in the 1970s, and an action-packed scene is building up. The album is fluid, intentional, and impossible not to listen to from front to back.