It’s the most wonderful time of year–no, not the holiday season, it’s Spotify Wrapped season! As someone who is obsessed with numbers and learning new things about myself, I anxiously await for Spotify to reveal my music statistics and compare my music taste over the years. I can probably guess who’s my top artist (Miss Taylor Swift…), but I am unsure who will claim the spots below.Â
One thing that I’ve noticed while making predictions on who will be my top artists and albums of the year is that I tend to gravitate towards sophomore albums. Maybe it’s an artist’s increased confidence in their art or a switch in style, but I believe that an artist’s sophomore album is a great way to immerse yourself in your favorite artist’s work.
I made a goal this year to branch out of my music comfort zone and fall in love with other artists’ discography. I like to think I accomplished this goal, because I made an effort to listen to new playlists and new artists. As I patiently await my Spotify Wrapped, I wanted to share my favorite sophomore albums of the year.
“Silence Between Songs” by Madison Beer, 2023
Beer created an absolute masterpiece with her album “Silence Between Songs.” Before listening to this album, I wouldn’t say I was a Madison Beer fan, but I appreciated some of her popular songs. This album completely changed my viewpoint. In songs like “Envy the Leaves,” she guides the listener through her personal journey with newfound fame, she reminisces on her childhood through delicate lyrics in “17” and “Ryder” and she breaks your heart with ballads like “Reckless.” Beer is completely transparent with her listeners, allowing them to feel the raw emotion and passion emerging from her lyrics and synth-pop tracks, while also stepping into a new light for outsiders to view her. My favorite song off this album is “King of Everything,” which perfectly showcases Beer’s vocals and the level of production that went into the album. With this album, Madison Beer catapulted to one of my favorite artists, and I cannot wait to see what else she has in store.
“Fine Line” by Harry Styles, 2019
I will always be a Harry Styles girl, and Styles’ sophomore album “Fine Line” will always have a place in my heart. I listened to Styles nonstop this summer, but it was mostly “Harry’s House” before I rediscovered my love for his second album. After careful consideration and countless re-listens, “Fine Line” is my favorite album from Styles. Songs like “Lights Up” and “Fine Line” feature heavenly instrumentals and melodic vocals that transport me into a different world. This album features some of Styles’ experimental songs, like “Sunflower, Vol. 6” and “Canyon Moon,” which highlightd a new side of Styles, that I loved. This album allowed Styles to explore new production and showcase his impressive vocal range, ultimately proving that Harry Styles is here to stay.
“Guts” by Olivia Rodrigo, 2023Â
“Guts” was my most anticipated album of the entire year, since I never came down from the high that Rodrigo’s first album “Sour” provided. I knew this album would be my favorite from her after my first listen of “all-american bitch,” a song similar to “brutal” on her first album but with a little more angst. Rodrigo’s fans know that she has incredible range, and this album showcased and elevated this. Rodrigo used her sophomore album as a form of reflection on the end of her teenage years and the start of her journey into adulthood, utilizing her songwriting and vocals to create a diverse album. “Making the Bed” and “logical” pull at the listener’s heartstrings, while songs like “get him back!” and “love is embarrassing” puts the listener into a good mood. This album is a whirlwind of emotions, just like the lived experience of being a teenage girl is. Rodrigo continues themes from her previous album and elevates them with “Guts,” creating a special bond with her fans and leaving them anticipating more. Â
“SOS” by SZA, 2022
Sza made fans wait five long years until she released her sophomore album “SOS,” but it was worth the wait. SZA took the themes of womanhood and maturity expressed in her first album “Ctrl” and elevated them, sending listeners through a rollercoaster of emotions and a journey of self-love. Through songs like “Gone Girl” and “Too Late”, SZA shows a more personal side to her songwriting and the balance between self-growth and heartbreak within broken relationships. “F2F” also shows that SZA is just like everyone else, singing about bad habits post-breakup. “Low” is my favorite song off this album, where I think she best showcases the album’s level of production. SZA breaks away from contemporary music and allows herself to delve deeper into the healing portion of heartbreak and pain through “SOS,” reaching a wider audience and sympathizing with her fans.
*Extra!* “Think Later” by Tate McCrae, 2023
Technically, McCrae’s new album won’t be released until Dec. 8, 2023, but I couldn’t resist writing about sophomore albums without including her. I believe McCrae has grown exponentially as a singer and performer since her first album “I Used to Think I Could Fly”, proven by her latest singles “greedy” and “exes”, which have gone viral on TikTok and have topped the charts. I know that “Think Later” will quickly become my preferred album of hers, and I cannot wait to hear what she has in store.