2017 has been blessed musically by outstanding newcomers as well as highly-antici- yet are i pated musical comebacks. Without further ado, let’s have a look at the Top 10 Al- Ny ote ens. ‘ = * bums of 2017. Vat yy te: - - # “Si Pag Oe 2 Masseduction by St. Vincent Wie ese: - . 2 * * a” While the pop-tinged Masseduction might be Anne Clark’s most accessible album as St. Vincent, it Waste co still offers a lot of adventure and contains dark themes reminiscent of her last albums, despite its Cin bright-neon album cover. As Clark said in an interview with i-D, she describes the album as a “domina- '» <% 2” trix at the mental institution.” In the title track, Clark repeats robotically the portmanteau, “masseduc- tion” then says, “I can’t turn off what turns me on” in a sexual tone, which conveys this overall concept of seduction in multiple facets. While the album ventures across the pop field, it still has a lot of rock elements which recalls her previous albums. Except this time, there’s a colourful twist. However, the album has some mellow moments like the piano-accompanied “New York” where Clark sings softly about losing a hero and friends but would “do it all again” for the lover she misses. Run the Jewels 3 (RTJ 3) by Run the Jewels “Legend Has It” that the excellent hip-hop duo who are as musically compatible as PB & J “dropped a clas- sic” with this album-yes, pun intended. While RTJ 3’s cover depicts the iconic RTJ hand sign made of gold with a blue background which might represent royalty, elitism, and prestige, ironically, the album’s themes are anti-elite; or rather, an artistic revolution against ruthless capitalism. In the album highlight “Pan- ther like a Panther (Miracle Mix)” with Trina, they talk about taking all the money from the wealthy and redistributing it to those in need in society as they tell everybody to “throw the pistol and fist” which refers to the RTJ hand sign. In “Thieves! (Screamed the Ghost)”, they drop a harder truth-bomb by rapping about police brutality and systematic racism, ending the song with a sample from a speech made by Martin Luther King, stating that “a riot is the language of the unheard.” CTRL by Sza As indicated in the title itself, SZA takes control of her life as a woman addressing themes that may be considered dirty and taboo. The Kendrick Lamar-assisted smooth track, “Doves in the Wind,” celebrates the power of vaginas. The gorgeous opening “Supermodel” has SZA singing about her insecurities and taking re- venge against an ex-boyfriend who wronged her by sleeping with his friend. Another example is the standout “The Weekend,” which recounts the experience of three women sharing one man. Many have interpreted from this track that SZA is the “side chick” but as SZA confirmed on Twitter, there’s no side chick because all the women described in the song are aware of the polyamorous nature of the arrangement. Despite SZA throw- ing out all the dirty laundry for everyone to see, the album has a lot of heart and soul, such as the deep cut “Normal Girl” where SZA becomes wishes that “she was a normal girl” or the type of person you can set- tle with and be proud of. Melodrama by Lorde Melodrama is perhaps one of the biggest surprises this year. Because the album was marketed as pop rath- er than indie, many speculated she must have sold out; however, when the full album dropped, Lorde gave us high-quality pop that is completely out of the norm. The artist in her late teen years managed to accurate- ly convey the feelings of happiness in love through tracks such as “The Louvre,” the pain of getting your heart ripped out with the quiet and cathartic “Hard Feelings/Loveless,” and the sadness of looking back at a love that could have been great but crumbled away with the ironically energetic “Supercut,” finishing with the anthem-like “Perfect Places.” Lorde mentioned in an interview with Teen Vogue that she has synaes- thesia, which is her ability to “see specific colours when certain music notes are played,” and this per- haps contributed to Lorde’s ability to perfectly convey the idea of melodrama with this brilliant album. DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar While DAMN. is Lamar’s shortest studio album in length and his most “commercial” sounding, it’s still packed with a lot of heat and brilliant storytelling for its seamless track transitions, poetic lyrics, politics, and symbolisms. For example, Lamar used a snippet of a Fox News reporter who criticises hip-hop at the end of the first track, “BLOOD,” then proceeds to the fiery “DNA” where he gives a nod to his black heritage. Moreover, the album seems to have religious undertones which can be conveyed through the album’s track titles and order like the rather tranquil “PRIDE” preceding the bombastic “HUMBLE,” which juxta- pose one another in both music and lyrics. The Rihanna-assisted track “LOYALTY” talks about the importance of loyalty in relationships and friendships; so, in a way, Lamar is able to convey his own ideals in this album. Finally, the album seems to be Lamar’s most personal to date; for example, in the revelatory “DUCK- WORTH,” Lamar talks about a twist of fate in his life that occurred because of his father’s kindness. After the universally-lauded To Pimp a Butterfly, expectations for Lamar became even higher; however, the Comp- ton-raised hip-hop paragon surpasses expectations with this damn marvellous album. Honourable mentions Lust for Life by Lana Del Rey Something to Tell You by HAIM Arca by Arca No Shape by Perfume Genius Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes After Laughter by Paramore Rainbow by Kesha Number 1 Angel by Charli More Life by Drake This Old Dog by Mac DeMarco XCX