2021 Music Taste Recap: Highlights, Disappointments, and New Discoveries

As we are approaching the close of 2021, I figured it would be nice to write a recap of the music I enjoyed over the course of the year. While many people will be making lists such as their top albums of 2021, I thought an overall recap of my music taste would be a better fit due to the way I consume music. I don’t usually consume music based on new releases so sometimes my music taste will shift simply by just digging into some older sounds or artists in genres I hadn’t really listened to as much before. It is also fun to have a post like this to look back on to see how much my taste will have evolved a year from now. That being said, let’s dig in!

Overview

First, I think it would make sense for me to give an overview of where my main music interests seem to point to this year. Based on the actual data from my Spotify and where my listening habits are gravitated towards at the moment, there are three categories that seem to dominate my music in rotation: 70’s music, Americana/country, and indie/surf rock. These categories do seem to be a bit broad so I will get into more detail later, but I do find it interesting that these three genres provide such a different vibe. Lucky for me, I have been able to find some new favorites within each of these genres, as well as appreciate more of my old favorites.

Highlights

Every year, some sort of music from the 1970s ends up on my radar and this year was no exception. Of course, I continued to listen to my classic rock favorites from that era, such as Fleetwood Mac, who happened to also be my top artist on my Spotify Wrapped. However, I did venture off into some more groovier sounds by digging a bit deeper into ABBA’s work, listening to a lot more Cher, and even discovering the wonderful magic that is The Gap Band. Outstanding by The Gap Band was my most listed to song this year and I could go on and on about how wonderful this song is. The various percussion sounds mixed with a funky groove was something that instantly put me in a good mood. Since getting more into The Gap Band, it has lead my musical interest to wanting to dig more into the funk and R&B genres.

As for the Americana/country genre, I did revisit some old favorites of mine such as Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers. Sturgill also put out a traditional bluegrass album this year titled The Ballad of Dood and Juanita. I enjoyed getting to hear new music from Sturgill and I am always amazed by the way he switches up his sound while still staying within his country roots. That album was definitely a big plus that came out of this year. I also dove head first into artists like Charley Crockett and Sierra Ferrell. Both of these artist were probably some of my absolute favorites of the entire year. They both have a way of honoring that classic country sound but adding an extra bit of flavor to it. I even wrote a whole blog post about Charley Crockett if you want to read more about him here. Charley Crockett was also the first live concert I attended this year after such a huge withdrawal from lives shows due to the pandemic, and he did not disappoint! I was also lucky enough to catch him again at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October. Sierra Ferrell’s album Long Time Coming was one of my absolute favorite releases to come out of this year. I listen to that album weekly and listening to her classic yet unique sound really gave my soul the refresh that it needed. I am really looking forward to what Sierra has in store for her career and will absolutely be catching a show when she comes to Austin again. I am also looking forward to digging deeper into more up and coming artists that play on those older classic country sounds while adding their own twist.

When it comes to indie/surf rock music, this genre is pretty broad because many types of sounds can fall under it. I have always liked music with a bit of a beachy feel but I have been able to really hone in on what I like about that sound and find songs that really bring more of an easy going and chill rock sound. Two of my bigger favorites of this year that fall into that category would be Tash Sultana and Babe Rainbow. I had heard just a tiny bit of Tash Sultana before this year, however, 2021 was really my chance to consider myself a big fan. With the release of their album, Terra Firma, I was immediately overcome with appreciation for them as an artist. Tash is so talented and their music is the ultimate selection for some easy listening summer sounds. I even wrote an album review of Terra Firma if you want to check that out here. Babe Rainbow was another group that I came across this year that quickly found their way into my usual music rotation. Babe Rainbow is the perfect band for a beach day with friends or even just driving through some gorgeous scenery. They also opened up the doors for me to discover other music like them and soon had surf/chill rock being one of my favorite genres. Some other songs and artists I really enjoyed in this category this year were Peach Pit, Palace, “Lose It” by SWMRS, “Hell N Back” by Baker, “Liz” by Remi Wolf, “Debbie” by Your Smith, and “Willie’s Song” by the moss.

I also wanted to highlight some other likes of mine that didn’t necessarily fit into the three categories above. For starters, I really enjoyed the album The Battle at Garden’s Gate that Greta Van Fleet put out this year and I was really happy to see them get more recognition for their work. These guys certainly have talent and I am happy more people are realizing that. Another favorite album of mine for this year was Sour by Olivia Rodrigo. I am not usually a big pop music fan but I think that Olivia put out a wonderful debut album and she really captured many elements that make a pop album memorable. I also fell in love with Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen’s collaboration on the song “Like I Used To”. This song was such a work of art and the two of them sounded so great together. I even wrote a whole post just about that song here. And lastly, Adele’s album 30 ended up being the absolute cherry on top of this year and made for the perfect collection to round out 2021. I always have and always will be an Adele fan and every time she comes out of hiding to drop an album, I am always reminded why. This record was so deep and personal and I still haven’t been able to get enough of it. I am just so grateful for Adele’s ability to share her feelings with the world and the way she stays true to herself.

One more highlight I wanted to add regarding music in 2021 is that Britney Spears was finally freed from her conservatorship! Britney is such a treasure to the music industry, especially to millennials, and she deserves to have control of her own life. I am looking forward to seeing Britney thrive in her newfound freedom.

Disappointments

Now I don’t necessarily have many dislikes because if I dislike something, I usually don’t continue listening to it, however, I did have a few disappointments in music this year.

I think the most obvious disappointment this year, in my opinion, is Ed Sheeran’s music. I mean, I wrote a whole blog post about how his musical evolution has ended up being disappointing (you can read that here). But to sum it up, Ed Sheeran released a single in June of this year titled “Bad Habits” as a teaser for his upcoming album, =, that was later released in October. Personally, I think that “Bad Habits” was everything I dislike about pop music. The lyrics were basic and surface level, while sounding like another pop cash grab. As someone who was a huge Ed Sheeran fan back in the day, it has been really sad to see the direction he has taken with his music. I did give the full album a listen when it was released after hating on “Bad Habits”, but I was still left disappointed. Hopefully Ed starts to shift back into the Ed Sheeran many of us fell in love with.

When I heard that Drake was releasing a new album this year, I was pretty excited because I have always been a fan of his older stuff and occasionally his newer stuff, but I had hope that he may put out some exciting work after being in a pandemic. However, when I heard his album Certified Lover Boy, I was a bit disappointed. I don’t think the album is bad, but it felt a little lack luster and somewhat basic. I also think he may have focused too much on the various artist features versus putting out some really solid stuff. However, I did find moments on the album where I was enjoying it.

Another disappointment I faced in music this year was Kacey Musgraves’ album titled Star-Crossed. I was really looking forward to this album since this was basically supposed to be her divorce album from fellow musician, Ruston Kelly. However, the album seemed to lack the usual witty, tongue in cheek lyricism that Kacey is known for, as well as falling a bit flat on the emotions part. I guess with a divorce album, I expected a bit more heart breaking emotions to be tied in but this album didn’t seem to really do that. I think there were definite high points of this record and it is certainly Kacey’s most experimental album to date, however, it did seem to focus more on aesthetics versus the actual content. I did write an album review of Star-Crossed here if you want my full review.

New Discoveries

I think my favorite part of discussing music taste over periods of time is seeing what new discoveries lead to a person’s ever evolving music taste. As I discover new music and artists, I notice that my taste in music will shift in different ways as I rabbit hole down various genres or eras. I also have been able to pinpoint which discovery lead me to a certain artist or sound and I find myself being so grateful for those little discoveries that shape what music I surround myself with.

As I mentioned earlier, Sierra Ferrell was a major discovery of mine this year. I am grateful that I came across her music and it helped bring me back to my country roots. Another discovery I mentioned earlier was the plethora of indie rock I found. Groups like Brave Baby, Your Smith, Baker, the moss, Bamily, and Babe Rainbow all helped me put together a playlist full of wonderful selections in that genre. I am looking forward to digging even deeper into this sort of chill rock vibe.

Three ladies who have such fun and unique sounds that I have enjoyed this year are Ruby Waters, Maya Delilah, and Remi Wolf. These three women have been essential for including on a good vibe and easy listening type of playlist. Speaking of easy listening and good vibes, Makoto Matsushita and Mulatu Astatke are two individuals with very distinct sounds that are different than what I usually listen to, but I have really enjoyed discovering their music. My discovery is still fairly fresh so I do plan to dig a bit deeper into both of their work in the new year. Lastly, I came across Allen Stone a few weeks ago and am already a huge fan. I am continuing to dig more into his work as well, but I can already tell that 2022 will definitely lead my music taste towards jazz and soul and I can’t wait.

I do have many other artists to recommend but I am planning a blog post next month highlighting some up and coming artist to keep an eye on. There is so much good music out there and no matter how much music we think we know, there is always so much more to discover. This year has been great for music and as always, I am looking forward to what music I have yet to discover.

Thank you to anyone who has read any of my posts this year and I am grateful for your support!