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Stefan's Naturally Aspirated Blog

The Future of Music 2021

08 January 202106:42

Stefan Karlsson

2021 Album Release Schedule2021 Music HighlightsFuture Music 2021Future of Music+-

We find ourselves in strange times, almost surreal at some points - with the Covid situation and strange political happenings around the world. This time has been typified by resorting to various home-comforts - including comfort-eating, and comfort-listening to a large degree.

This makes for a healthy does of Nostalgia with lots of flavours of the 80’s and 90’s harkening back to gentler times. We’ve see the continued growth of all kinds of sub-genres - with Twilight / Kitchen Disco being on of my favourites. By and large though what we have is really a new sense of eclecticism. Exemplified by artists like Ed Sheeran - who straddle several genres and keep surprising us with creative collaborations.

I myself, apart from Twilight Disco - seem to find myself leaning still more into slightly whimsical and quirky electronic pop - a genre that’s always been a favourite. While the 2021 Breakthrough Artists section below shows just how eclectic and broad the scope is - across pop, rock, punk, metal, electronica, R&B, Hip Hop and a smattering of instrumental jazz even.

Generally though I seem to largely be wanting something more familiar and comforting, while I feel an experimental phase lies not too far ahead!

I could have selected any of a number of artists to be my poster girl/boy/band of the year - while I felt a strong emotional connection with some of Spill Tab’s (Claire Chicha) recent output in particular. It owes quite a bit of influence to two previous favourites - Billie Eilish and Skott in particular.

10 Favourite Albums of 2020

In my 2020 review I noted a heavy element of nostalgic sounds - recalling the now relative paradise of the 80's and 90's.

All top five choices in particular have a healthy dose of nostalgia bout them for sure - also of course the sophistication of Twilight Disco! :

Jessie Ware - What’s Your Pleasure?
The Weeknd - After Hours
Róisín Murphy - Róisín Machine
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You
Sault - Untitled (Black Is | Rise)
Purity Ring - Womb
Skott - Always Live for Always
Becky and the Birds - Trasslig EP
Grimes - Miss Anthropocene

10 Favourite Songs of 2020

While my top album choices prove to be somewhat laid back in many ways, that is not the case with the individual Single or Song choices - which seem rather more sparky and effervescent. Some significant quirky but fairly sophisticated electronic pop! :

Run the Jewels feat. Royal Blood - The Ground Below (Royal Jewels Mix) | Ooh La La | JU$T
Grimes - Darkseid w/ 潘PAN | Delete Forever
100 gecs - hand crushed by a mallet (Remix) | Money Machine | gecgecgec (Remix)
Carpenter Brut - Blood Machines Theme | Maniac
Jayda G - Both of Us | Are U Down
Jessie Ware - Save a Kiss | What's Your Pleasure | In Your Eyes | Spotlight | Soul Control | The Kill
The Weeknd ft. Rosalía - Blinding Lights | In Your Eyes ft. Kenny G | Too Late | Save Your Tears
Dua Lipa - Physical | Hallucinate | Don't Start Now
Billie Eilish - No Time To Die | Therefore I Am | My Future
Madalen Duke - Born Alone Die Alone | Part Goddess Part Gangster | Run Boy

Breakthrough Artists for 2021 / BBC Sound of etc.

This was an unusually arduous task this year as there was generally very little overlap of the main lists - with each magazine and music body advocating for a different set of artists. As a result I have a fairly unprecedented Long List of 150+ candidates - straddling near enough every major genre out there bar classical.

From the Long List I chose circa 20 that appealed to be most - while on a different day I would undoubtedly have made a different selection. Music is such an emotive subject - and for me, like many things. it is dominated by what prevailing mood and plain of existence I find myself on.

As is often the case I find myself leaning towards slightly quirky and whimsical electronic pop - typically female-fronted. While there are a few interesting choices in there too. I did not deliberately set out to make the Long List so eclectic - it is very much a product of these times - and like said has some fairly significant genre coverage including a number of rising stars in instrumental jazz - those alas did not make the short list which follows, then book-ended by the full Long List I compiled from all those leading music resources.

On this occasion I've decided not to do all that pigeon-hole genre assignment as I don't really find it that helpful for my own tastes and rather becomes a limiting exercise instead of a more open exploration.

Note also that I had to disqualify a number from the listing as I had already featured them last year - Inhaler therefore does not feature at all, while I really like Griff - but covered her in last year's selection! This is an incredibly International selection this year with artists coming from all corners of the world - versus the usual UK/US lean.

Apart from Spill Tab at the top of the pile both Short and Long Lists are alphabetical by artist :

Spill Tab - My Artist for 2021

Alaina Castillo

Alfie Templeman

Ashwarya

Claudia Valentina

Holly Humberstone (BBC Sound of #2)

Julie Bergan

Klein Zage

Logic1000

Louie Blue

Lucy Deakin

PVA

Pyra

Shadi G

Sofia Kourtesis

Tate McRae

Tayo Sound

Wargasm

The 150+ 2021 Breakthrough Artists Long List

* Asterisk / Bold denotes personal favourites - as above!

24kGoldn
220 Kid
Aggi Dix
* Alaina Castillo
Alewya
* Alfie Templeman
Amaarae
Anxious
Aquiles Navarro
As Everything Unfolds
* Ashwarya
Astrid Engberg
Attalie
AWA
Baby Keem
Baby Queen
BackRoad Gee
Bad Boy Chiller Crew (BBCC)
Berwyn (BBC Sound of 2021 : #3)
BLOXX
Boncyan
Bree Runway
Bríet
Calabashed
Cat Burns
Chloe Moriondo
Cj Pandit
Claud
* Claudia Valentina
CMAT
Coach Party
Courting
Daine
DEAR-GOD
Death Tour
Demie Cao
Denise Chaila
Drug Store Romeos
Dutchavelli
Enny
Erika de Casier
Felix De Luca & Shatter Hands
Flo Milli
Folly Group
For Those I Love
Fousheé
Fred again..
Frosty
Genesis Owusu
Girl in Red
Goya Gumbani
Gracey
Greentea Peng (BBC Sound of 2021 : #4)
** Griff (BBC Sound of 2021 : #5) (alas already included in 2020)
Gustaf
Hollow Sinatra
* Holly Humberstone (BBC Sound of 2021 : #2)
Hope Tala
Ideal
India Jordan
Isola
Ivorian Doll
Jany Green
Jockstrap
Johan Kull
Johanna Burnheart
Joesef
Jordana
Josie Man
* Julie Bergan
Kamal
KennyHoopla
Kid Kapichi
* Klein Zage
KMRU
Kynsy
Lil Halima
* Logic1000
Lol K
Loose Articles
Lou Hayter
* Louie Blue
Louisa Melcher
Lowertown
Lucinda Chua
* Lucy Deakin
LustSickPuppy
Lynks
Malady
Marijannah
Martha Skye Murphy
Martyn Bootyspoon
Meet Me @ The Altar
merci, mercy
Michelle
Mina Okabe
Miriam Bryant
MoMa Ready
Myke Towers
The Mysterines
Nathan Dawe
Nayana Iz
NewDad
Nicolas Cage Fighter
Noisy
Nublu
Offica
ONEFOUR
Orion Sun
Pa Salieu (BBC Sound of 2021 : #1)
Pixey
Park Hye Jin
Powfu
Priya Ragu
* PVA
* Pyra
R.A.E
Raheaven
Remi Wolf
Romero
Rose Gray
Scalping
* Shadi G
Shaybo
Skullcrusher
Smoothboi Ezra
* Sofia Kourtesis
* Spill Tab ***** [My Artist of the 2021]
Sprints
Sweeping Promises
* Tate McRae
* Tayo Sound
Tessa
The Goa Express
The Lathums
The Lazy Eyes
The Lounge Society
The Snuts
Tiana Major9
Tori Handsley
Tuomo
* Wargasm
Wendy Eisenberg
Where Did Nora Go
Witch Fever
Wordcolour
Yard Act
Yung Raja
Zola Mennenöh
Zsela

10 Known Albums I'm Looking Forward To in 2021

This list contains confirmed releases - a lot of favourites still under TBC though - as below. These are the properly named ones that have a set release date already (alphabetical as usual) :