Fi’s 2023 Music of the Year
Crawling out of the digital woodwork to send all y’all some of the songs and albums I grooved to this year.
In the age of social media, it’s terribly easy for everyone to have an opinion, including me! Please enjoy (or not) some insights into the 2023 releases I’ve had on repeat.
Albums
Kojaque, Phantom of the Afters
I love this album. I find Kojaque to be a very imaginative artist who really knows how to play with the texture of his music via samples, features, and "found" noise.
Like Deli Daydreams and Town's Dead, Kojaque's latest album is a hyper-local and hyper-personal project, following the trials and tribulations of Jackie Dandelion (referencing Fontaines D.C.'s "Jackie Down The Line," which is, in turn, referencing the term "Jackeen," a pejorative for anglicized Dubliners), who has "taken the soup," as it were, and emigrated to London looking for better opportunities. Based on his own experiences and observations as an Irish expatriate in London, Phantom of the Afters explores the hope and isolation that comes from one man's emigration, but, in tying the album into the specifics of his life, Kojaque taps into larger anxieties of love, loss, and leaving home.
Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Like all great pop stars, Chappel Roan isn't afraid of being "too much." Instead, the 25-year-old Missourian fully embraces a loud, tacky, and glitter-fueled program on her debut album as she giddily shoots her shot at the latest object of her affections ("I heard you like magic / I got a wand and a rabbit!") or bemoans a perplexing situationship ("It's hard being casual / When my favorite bra lives in your dresser"). Flagrantly messy, undeniably talented, and invariably true to herself, Chappell Roan is a star on the rise.
For some reason, I didn't like this the first time I listened to it. Clown behavior. Featuring old-school heavy hitters like Ivy Queen alongside rising stars like Junior H, the album finds its groove in Rauw's particular gift for finding a sweet spot between old-school reggaeton and genre innovation. A continuation of last year's Saturno, Playa Saturno is another sweaty, celestial reggaeton album promising a good time.
Honorable mention: Dolly Parton, Rockstar
Is it cheating to list a (mostly) cover album? Do I care? The indomitable Dolly Parton continues to do her thing on her first rock album, inviting all sorts of collaborators (Stevie Nicks! Debbie Harry! Kid Rock?) to help her celebrate her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Parton had initially declined the nomination, saying that she didn't think she'd "earned that right,"but ballots had already been sent out to voters, so here we are. The resulting rock album is, of course, the direct result of this induction, but Parton also cites her husband, a longtime fan of rock, as an inspiration for the project, which is very cute. This may not be a life-changing addition to the rock canon, but it is a fun addition to Dolly Parton's discography and, more than 50 years after her first album, a great reminder that she really is that bitch.
Songs
Kneecap (feat. Grian Chatten), "Better Way To Live"
Teaming up with Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten (who released his excellent debut solo album, Chaos For The Fly, earlier this year), "Better Way To Live" maintains Kneecap's signature sleazy charm, but adds in the promise that "[u]nderneath all the thundering there's magic." The sweet sincerity and a solid groove, paired with Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap's seemingly effortless ability to switch between Irish and English mid-verse, make this something special.
C. Tangana, "Oliveira Dos Cen Anos"
It pains me to say it, but I must give props to a Spaniard. C. Tangana's 2020 album El Madrileño remains at the top of my personal charts, and his latest release—which he composed for a soccer club—is absolutely stunning. As with El Madrileño, "Oliveira Dos Cen Anos" blends local traditions with modern production, but the song takes this framework even further, bringing on Galician musicians, like the Coral Casablanca de Vigo and las Lagharteiras, to create a true anthem for the Real Club Celta de Vigo's centennial. With C. Tangana's gift for honoring the past while still allowing himself room for play, I'm excited to see where he goes next.
Mijita (feat. Rico Nasty), "TONKATRUCK (Remix)"
Obscenely catchy. I would follow Rico Nasty just about anywhere and I am so glad she'd lead me (us!) here. "TONKATRUCK" was appealing from the get-go, but Rico's understanding that delusion is the secret of hotness ("I'm a skinny bitch but I think I'm thick / So I guess it's just all in your mind." True!) is a perfect cherry on top.
Olivia Rodrigo, "ballad of a homeschooled girl"
A song for wrecking (emotional) havoc. I think Olivia Rodrigo is at her best when she leans into the scuzzier side of anguish and I am counting the days until we get a wholly pop-punk album. With (mostly) tongue-in-cheek admissions—like admitting she searched "how to start a conversation?" on a website—"ballad of a homeschooled girl" is a horribly relatable and wonderfully chaotic consolation for those of us free-wheeling through the hair-raising thrill of being alive.
Artists
Combining metal music with traditional Andean rhythms and instrumentation could come across as a cheap gimmick, but the Ecuadorian band Curare has been at it for over two decades with no sign of slowing down. The group clearly loves the music it creates, and the multiple singles they've released this year are as exciting as ever. Cannot recommend enough.
Another take on local traditions! Now onto their second album, the seven-piece band continues to emphasize the history, humor, and political bent of folk music with high-energy renditions of classics that champion the joys of a red-light district or inform us that the rich are going to hell. A joyful reflection of folk music at its best.
I recommend her both in jest and not at all because "MY HOUSE" has been on repeat in this house since it came out on December first. She's a genius, a visionary, an icon. Most importantly, her music is very fun. Who is doing it like her!
That’s all I’ve got for the moment! If you’re desperate for more insights into my musical tastes, never fear. I’ve got a whole playlist of timely favorites from 2023 (including what I’ve mentioned here). Enjoy!