◆ Listen to an interview with Arooj AftabĦ. The result hangs together beautifully, as echoes of Sade, Abida Parveen and Jeff Buckley drift comfortably over terrain that spans hundreds of years and thousands of miles.
On her third album, Vulture Prince, Aftab's songs convey longing, hope, grief and loss in songs that never land at the same spot twice: the achingly spare "Saans Lo" wafts like smoke, "Last Night" sets a Rumi poem to a reggae-inspired beat and "Suroor" recalls the searching sounds of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Pakistani-born, Brooklyn-based singer Arooj Aftab updates and reimagines South Asian music with stunning grace. ◆ Watch Arlo Parks' Tiny Desk (home) concert Whether it's the visceral pain of Charlie, who longs to "feel somethin' for once" on the track "Hurt" or Millie, who "tried to talk the pleasure back into being alive" on "Hope," Parks encapsulates the sense of anxiety that's become a staple of pandemic life and assures us that we're not alone. With the savvy of an industry veteran, the 21-year-old London artist brings a refreshing vulnerability to the landscape of pop through detailed and relatable character sketches. In January, Arlo Parks came out swinging with her debut full-length, Collapsed In Sunbeams, which went on to win the Mercury Prize for Album of the Year, certified Parks as Best New Artist at the Brit Awards, and garnered her nominations in the same categories at the upcoming 64th Grammy Awards. One of the year's most powerful releases has been my companion for the entirety of 2021. When I begin compiling my list of favorite releases at the end of any given year, I have to refamiliarize myself with those earlier album drops, as records that came out in the latter half of the year have the advantage of being top of mind. ◆ Watch Vince Staples' Tiny Desk (home) concert Here, with the help of Kenny Beats, who provides Staples with production that feels more introspective than abrasive - see: the undulating album opener "ARE YOU WITH THAT?" and the gently constructed, Fousheé-assisted "TAKE ME HOME" - the MC uses this project to heal the lingering wounds of his losses. Known for his brazen storytelling, Staples has tended to express his apprehensions and bravado in more aggressive terms, over beats that are meant to unsettle you. Vince Staples puts his hands into the earth of his trauma on his self-titled album, pulling up a set of experiences that feel more deeply rooted than anything he's ever shared. ◆ Read a profile of composer Julius Eastman To hear Wild Up's performance in a single sitting is nothing short of sheer bliss. Femenine is a 67-minute, minimalist groove that mesmerizes with its evolving variations on the opening two-note theme in the vibraphone, and delights with its jazz-inspired solos for flugelhorn, piccolo, piano and voice. He died alone and misunderstood at age 49 in 1990, with his compositions scattered to the winds. Eastman was a proudly gay, Black composer whose career swung from critical success to downward spiral. With this jubilant performance, the slow but steady revival of the uncompromising music of Julius Eastman reaches an apex. Spotify / Apple Music / Tidal / Amazon Music / YouTube Musicġ0. Stream NPR Music's 50 Best Albums of 2021:
You'll find something fortifying to build you up for the road ahead. Even when slight they are composed, with a sense of purpose. Many of these albums are stacked with great songs, but these aren't snacks.
There's plenty of fun, but little escapism. Everywhere on this list you'll find the thrill of artistic revelation, musicians finding themselves, willing something new into reality. Our list of the year's 50 best is topped by an album that was unmatched in concept, songwriting or performance, but it had so much good company. So maybe that's why, when we sat down together to discuss which albums we loved the most over the course of 2021, NPR Music's staff and contributors found ourselves drawn to albums by artists making breakthroughs, moving forward with clarity, without balking at the obstacles falling in their way. If the year presently coming to a close was a dance, it'd be a hesitant shuffle, tentative steps toward - or heyyyy, maybe away from? - an uncertain future.
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