Down to the top 20. Whew! Now’s a good time for you to let us know what you think about our massive list up to now.

If you’re just joining us now, catch up with parts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight. Done? Let’s move on. The penultimate part includes heavyweights like Adele, Lil Nas X, Halsey and J. Cole, as well as indie all-stars Chvrches, Sufjan Stevens and Black Country, New Road.

Then come back tomorrow as we finish up.

20. Black Country, New Road

For the first time – Ninja Tune – Red Dziri

Black Country, New Road take flight on their first project, For the first time. The London septet has made a name for itself thanks to its ability to meld genres into a complex polymer that taps into the best of what jazz fusion and post-punk have to offer today. Tracks like the powerful “Instrumental” defy convention and grow in whatever direction is dictated by the instrumentalist at the helm of the piece at any given moment.

The band constantly surprises its audience across its labyrinthine album, exchanging post-punk for experimental rock, free jazz and even klezmer music freely across and within each of the six tracks on For the first time. Black Country, New Road’s thirst for adventure is palpable throughout, infectious when it needs to be, intimidating when it wants to be, never dull and is always impressive. For the first time is the kind of album that hits you in the gut time and time again and makes you come back for seconds.

19. Halsey

If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power – Capitol Records – Domenic Strazzabosco

A mere month after giving birth, Halsey returned with their most garish and gory project yet. Influenced heavily by pregnancy and the beauty and complexity of childbirth, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power attempts to disrupt the discourse around pregnancy and reframe what it means to bear a child.

Inspired by medieval films and Renaissance artwork of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, Halsey employs a more alternative rock sound than they’ve recorded previously, with the help of producers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails. Together it’s resulted in their most cohesive and seamless album.

It finds Halsey singing solo on every song while alternating between more melodic, piano-heavy tracks and those with grinding loud guitars. It gives Halsey’s detractors more to ponder and dissect than their previous poppier, radio-friendly singles.

18. Lil Nas X

Montero – Columbia Records – Tim Hoffman

A debut album from Lil Nas X has been a long time coming.  The Atlanta rapper has transformed before audiences from the meme zeitgeist of “Old Town Road” to a more complex and layered artist who’s versatility and charisma have solidified him as a pivotal voice in the current generation of rappers. He’s been targeted by pearl-clutching fundamentalists and homophobes alike. Yet, Lil Nas X continues to fly in the face of his detractors by staying true to himself even when it isn’t easy. That’s the theme of the album.

Montero validates his staying power as an artist, exemplifying his ability to change and adapt over time while continuing to play to his strengths. On the title track Lil Nas X raps about his desire to give into the sinful temptations of sex, drugs and partying. It’s considerably tongue in cheek in hindsight, but the point regarding his detractors makes the substance of the song continue to hold up as a bold anthem against the controlling fervor of the religious right.

The plucked strings and synths of “Scoop” see him team up with Doja Cat, delivering a song about knowing your own worth. “One of Me” tackles criticisms thrown at Lil Nas X, reducing him to being just a meme rapper and a one-hit wonder. It’s kind of a ridiculous criticism since every time the artist drops a new song, it seems to take over the entire internet, but you can’t argue with stupid.

17. J. Cole

The Off-Season – Dreamville – Tim Hoffman

On The Off-Season, J. Cole grapples with self-awareness about his status as a musician while reflecting on his own experiences. “A m a r i” takes a look at Cole’s upbringing and how desperation and violence served as the backdrop—over a plucky acoustic trap beat with rattling snares.

On “m y . l i f e,” J. Cole and 21 Savage explore how tragedy and hardship led each of them to develop strong characters. Cole examines his hunger for financial success, rapping about seeing his peers sell drugs and working menial labor, feeding his desire to attain super-stardom and wealth. And on “A p p l y i n g . p r e s s u r e,” he examines how own his success has informed his artistry. His desire to grow and explore while remaining genuine to his vision sharply contrasts that of his peers in hip-hop who maintain a façade of a street-hardened hedonist.

Death becomes a prominent theme on the album, with tracks like “t h e . c l i m b . b a c k,” on which Cole examines the nature of gun violence in America, and the message is both timely and authentic.

16. Adele

30 – Columbia Records – Domenic Strazzabosco

The always personal Adele becomes even more so as she turns the spotlight on her divorce and her life as a mother explaning the separation to her son. Lead single “Easy On Me” explain the guilt and uncertainty she felt when choosing to go forward with divorce. “I had no time to choose/ What I chose to do/ So go easy on me,” she belts, her voice gliding effortlessly over the vocal runs.

At the beginning of the fourth track, “Cry Your Heart Out,” Adele throws her first curveball. She pushes the album’s sound toward one previously untapped in her discography, drifting into the realm of fellow British songstresses Emeli Sandé or even Amy Winehouse. “Oh My God,” with a twitching, electronic intro and “Can I Get It,” with a thumping acoustic guitar, show Adele pushing the boundaries of what we anticipated from her musically.

With “To Be Loved,” Adele blows every previous award-winning vocal performance she’s given right from the podium, sounding powerful and raw. Starting with her reminiscing on the house Adele tried to build, she ends with a bit of self-reassurance that she did, indeed, try.

15. Aesop Rock x Blockhead

Garbology – Rhymesayers – Tim Hoffman

“Garbology” is the study of culture and society through the context of refuse and the manner in which a society disposes of it. While the title conceptually fits the way Aesop Rock and longtime collaborator Blockhead conceived and completed the album, thematically it differs entirely—with a strict emphasis by Aesop Rock on death, isolation, kitsch, macabre and spirituality with a healthy dash of social criticism. It’s a lot to pack into an album following 2020’s dense and abstract Spirit World Field Guide.

Clearly indicative of Aesop’s approach to making music, the album takes listeners by the hand with “Jazz Hands.” We get a sense of Blockhead’s stripped-down approach to production with instrumentals delivering more of an easy-listening vibe, moving from track to track. Aesop Rock begins rapping about the social unrest of last year, observing the chaos with a casual familiarity like an old soul who’s seen it all before.

While there is some positivity to be found, the album closes out with “Abandoned Malls,” quickly dragging listeners back into the cold reality in which this album was birthed as Aesop laments the loss of a friend.

14. Black Veil Brides

The Phantom Tomorrow – Sumerian Records – Mike DeWald

The record kicks off in dramatic fashion with an orchestral and instrumental title track. The dark and melodic tones are set right out of the gate. Black Veil Brides then launch right into “Scarlet Cross,” a no-nonsense rocker that fuses everything the band does well—guitar riffs, huge melodic choruses and driving energy. Dynamic rocker “Born Again” jumps between half-time pre-choruses to fist-pumping choruses. What really works here is how band achieves heaviness without sacrificing melody and quality songwriting.

The evolution of Black Veil Brides feels somewhat akin to Avenged Sevenfold between Nightmare and Hail to the King, moving away from heavy thrash and toward riff-focused hard rock. Mid-tempo rocker “Blackbird” also benefits from impressive dynamics and tempo changes, including the beat drop on vocalist Andy Biersack’s lyric, “Just look into the sky and you’ll be become the black bird.

The band continue to experiment all the way to terrific closer “Fall Eternal,” the closest song to a ballad on the record, which showcases its range and may be worthy of further exploration.

13. Chvrches

Screen Violence – Glassnote Records – RJ Greenhalge

Chvrches stayed busy this year, contributing to the soundtrack of the kiddie-horror flick “Nightbooks” as well as producing a remix for John Carpenter. Thus, it comes as no surprise that Iain Cook, Lauren Mayberry and Martin Doherty’s latest album, Screen Violence, is imbued with horror-movie themes. Nonetheless, Screen Violence, the band’s first LP since 2018’s Love Is Dead, adheres to the proven Chvrches formula, juxtaposing highly polished synth-pop with brokenhearted lyrical content. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: In a year that saw many witch house and synth-wave acts pivot from their established sound into new genre territory, it’s almost a relief that Chvrches stays (mostly) true to form.

While “Violent Delights,” “Final Girl” and “Good Girls” all showcase a slightly less saccharine sound than previous albums (was that the F-word?!), guest vocalist Robert Smith elevates “How Not to Drown” above any of its peer tracks. Although we probably don’t need another song about California, Screen Violence nonetheless demonstrates why Chvrches continue to stay at the forefront while similar bands from the early ’10s fade into the background.

12. Orla Gartland

Woman on the Internet – New Friends/The Orchard – Ben Schultz

Orla Gartland is so unflashy with her artistic gifts that more jaded listeners might overlook them altogether. The young Irish singer-songwriter’s debut album, Woman on the Internet, doesn’t have any in-your-face revelations or powerful voice like Adele. Her spare, elegantly quirky electro-pop will sound familiar to anyone who’s heard Imogen Heap, Sylvan Esso or St. Vincent.

But here’s the trick with Woman on the Internet: Its very lack of flash—its commitment to staying in its lane—is a sign of its greatest strength. Gartland seems to know enough about herself as a person and a musician to say and do exactly what she wants.

The first tipoff is the lyrics. Plenty of songwriters have written about self-discovery, but seldom with such plainspoken wit. From there, you might notice how often Gartland’s simple tunes stick in your mind long after the album’s done. You could also appreciate the subtleties of Woman on the Internet’s spacious production. Acoustic and electronic instruments layer on top of each other and sneak up on you.

11. Sufjan Stevens and Angelo de Augustine

A Beginners Mind – Asthmatic Kitty – Domenic Strazzabosco

Musicians and friends Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine went to a cabin in Upstate New York to watch movies compulsively, ultimately gaining inspiration for their first collaborative project. As a not-so-surprising result, the album’s theme and lyrics are heavily influenced by films they watched, all the way down to the album and single covers that are heavily reminiscent of  “Creature from The Black Lagoon,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “The Wizard of Oz” and more.

A Beginner’s Mind is great for two reasons: It’s musically intimate and easily listenable, and additionally, it’s filled with references to so many films that there’s bound to be one you enjoyed. Though the lyrics aren’t overly conceptual, it deserves to be interpreted by these artists’ ability to write based on other works far before their time. What they came up with I nothing short of beautiful and cinematic.

20. Black Country, New Road. 19. Halsey. 18. Lil Nas X. 17. J. Cole. 16. Adele. 15. Aesop Rock x Blockhead. 14. Black Veil Brides. 13. Chvrches. 12. Orla Gartland. 11. Sufjan Stevens and Angelo de Augustine.

The 108 best albums of 2021: 10-1 >>