January 1, 2022
At this point, I wouldn’t be able to finish a year without writing a Top 10 Albums of the Year recap. I’ve been publishing an annual article/video since 2017, and even though I’ve drifted my focus from the music industry to my own business, it just doesn’t feel right to not partake in any sort of list. Therefore, here is my list of this year’s best releases, in my opinion - which was INCREDIBLY difficult to narrow down after how great of a year 2021 was for music.
As always, I’d like to start with a few acknowledgements of albums I adored this year and had a hard time leaving out of my ultimate ranking. In 2021, this includes Planet Her by Doja Cat, Chemtrails Over The Country Club by Lana Del Rey, Blink Once by Arkells, if i could make it go quiet by girl in red, Push Back by Jetty Bones, OK ORCHESTRA by AJR, MONTERO by Lil Nas X, and Blue Banisters by Lana Del Rey. Each of these records were phenomenal and helped create the soundtrack to my year. Without further ado, I’ll get into my ultimate top ten.
10. SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo
The amount of conversation provoked by this artist and this album recently is absolutely insane. I’d never heard of this girl at the start of 2021 - now at the end, her name is everywhere. Her debut may not be the most lyrically or musically strong piece of work released this year, but god damn, is it ever iconic. Rodrigo has made an incredibly strong entrance into the music industry with SOUR. Moving forward, she only has room to grow. As she matures and continues writing, the content of her songs and the originality behind them will strengthen much further than the breakup-oriented themes of this record.
In the meantime, the abundance of teenage angst reflected in the eleven tracks of SOUR is enough to make me feel like I’m in high school again. It is unbelievably glorious how this young artist has encapsulated such a defining era of self-growth within her debut release. Most people have old journals and social media posts to look back on when reflecting about this time in their lives, but Rodrigo will forever have an album worth of songs that explain exactly how she feels about the uncertainty and heartbreak involved in finding yourself and who you’re meant to be with.
For me, the standouts on this album are the hugely cinematic “traitor,” rock-influenced “brutal,” tear-jerking “favorite crime,” and reflective “hope ur ok.” The latter discusses childhood friendships and the fact of life that people move on and lose touch with one another. Its storytelling style is similar to that of Taylor Swift’s 2020 track “seven,” which has a reserved style of sadness just for this type of pondering. The energy in “brutal” is unmatched to any other songs on the record, only coming close to “jealousy, jealousy,” making it the perfect choice to open Rodrigo’s album. The songs that follow exude similar themes of frustration with the world and relationships.
Seeing an artist who is younger than me excel in her field and tell her truth while gaining immense success is highly enlightening. I cannot wait to hear what Rodrigo releases next, as I know she will have several more years of uncharted success ahead of her. Here’s to an even bigger year for this amazing young woman in 2022.
9. Optimist - FINNEAS
Admittedly, it took me a while to get around to listening to this one. I’m not even sure why, as I’ve adored the work put out by the Eilish/O’Connell family for years. When I finally listened a couple weeks before writing this review, it knocked Girl in Red out of her place in my Top 10. I couldn’t stop listening. Tracks like “The Kids Are All Dying” and “The 90s” were so unbelievably good that I kept them on repeat for weeks. I’m still listening as I’m writing here.
2021 was a busy year for me, but I am so glad this record didn’t become a one that got away. I’m not sure what more I can say but wow! Finneas is a hugely talented person whose voice fits every song he sings, no matter the tempo. It is gorgeous in slow ballads like those that he’s mostly known for, but the more upbeat tracks on Optimist are executed brilliantly as well. His range even ventures into producing, which he not only does for his sister’s work, but his own too. Optimist is self-written and self-produced, one of the things making it so impressive.
Previously mentioned “The 90s” was, by far, my standout track - my jaw dropped to the floor when I first heard that beat drop (you know the one). Heartbreaking ballads like “A Concert Six Months From Now” and “Love is Pain” also rank high for me. Of course, “How It Ends” was the perfect choice for an album closer, as it perfectly wraps up the record with a cliche (in a good way) statement. “Medieval” and “The Kids Are All Dying” serve as some of the most danceable tracks, but the latter, in particular, has some pretty depressing messages intertwined as well.
One thing I love about Finneas is that a large portion of his artistry lies within his lyrical ability. Whether it be about a relationship, family, or dire real world issues, he is a storyteller at heart. Although he’s been in a happy relationship for a long time, his ability to write heartbreak tracks is astounding. As his debut full-length record, Optimist tackles many themes not yet explored by Finneas. It relies on a heavy amount of experimentation and differentiation between each track as a means of seeing what performs best - hopefully to help create a second album in the future. Through and through, Optimist is a phenomenal piece of work.
8. Home Video - Lucy Dacus
Not that Dacus’ first LP wasn’t brilliant, but it didn’t quite stick with me the same way Home Video has. Other than the iconic and amazingly written “Night Shift,” I seemed to skip most songs on the record whenever they came on shuffle. Her new album, however, is a completely different story. Upon first listen, I instantly connected. The thing about Dacus is that she is one of the most emotionally raw indie artists in the game right now. Her ability to portray a suburb amount of emotion via song is unmatched. Listen to “Thumbs” or “Triple Dog Dare” and you’ll immediately understand. Even tracks that focus less on vocals and more on the actual music composition (than acoustic/stripped down songs), like “First Time,” tell a story beautifully. Home Video showcases Dacus’ gift in a way that has never been done before.
Starting off on the high note of “Hot & Heavy,” audiences’ introduction to Dacus’ sophomore record is somewhat deceiving. A nostalgic, upbeat tune tackles the theme of sexuality and ownership of one’s own body, but the end of said track leads into “Christine,” a heartbreaking melody describing Dacus’ love for her friend and disapproval of their partner. Much of the rest of the record follows the same self-reflective note. There are a few high moments, but the majority is slow, sad, and pensive.
Personal favourite “Going Going Gone” strips it down to a solely acoustic delivery. The dialogue in the studio left at the end of the track leads me to believe that it has hardly been edited, and that Dacus’ gorgeous vocals in the song are completely live. Finally, “Brando” and “Partner in Crime” stand out as some of the most upbeat songs on the record with depressing meanings. The loss of friends and lovers are touched upon - something extremely relevant during the pandemic, as it’s been harder than ever to keep in contact with those we were once surrounded by.
With the release of Home Video, Lucy Dacus has gone from an artist I listen to occasionally to one of my favourite current artists. I am forever grateful for artists such as herself who are willing to share their traumas and journeys with the world to allow listeners to connect and grow from these experiences. I look forward to the next piece of work Dacus puts out.
7. In The Meantime - Alessia Cara
The fact that some people only know Cara for her radio hits pains me — and the fact that many Americans don’t know her at all pains me even more. While she does have some pretty catchy mainstream tracks, like her very first hit “Here,” nothing compares to her album tracks that never gather the same mass popularity. You’d never guess it if you only knew her from the radio, but Cara writes the most amazing anthems for twenty-somethings who are lost and trying to find their way. Her writing is completely honest and reflective of her own experiences, and after delving into her new album, her originality becomes more clear than ever. Cara is one of my personal favourite musicians to emerge from the 2010s, and her newest record pushes boundaries she hasn’t quite reached yet.
With a new outlook on life and a noticeably improved level of production, In The Meantime is an 18-track album clocking in at just under 55 minutes long. Similar to other records meant to highlight the highs and lows of growing up (first to come to mind - Taylor Swift’s RED), Cara’s third LP drifts between upbeat, danceable tracks to slow-paced ballads about love and loss. Of course, many of her catchiest tunes are still fairly morbid. The album starts with “Box in the Ocean,” after its intro, and this track tackles the concept of holding in emotions and anxieties instead of discussing them. This mindset is self-destructive and unhealthy, but it is all too well-known to those who struggle with mental illness. We’d often rather bite our tongue than risk exposing such a vulnerable side of ourselves to people who may view us differently afterwards.
Other highlights from the album include “Lie To Me,” “Best Days,” “Find My Boy,” and “Apartment Song.” The former is simply a personal favourite because of its incredibly catchy hook. I also just think the concept of begging someone to admit they don’t love you the same way you love them so you can begin to heal is incredibly relatable. “Best Days” is an absolute doozy about growth and the passage of time. As someone only a few years younger than Cara, this one is incredibly relatable. The realization that the most lively, exciting days of your life have passed you by is painful, but almost everyone experiences it at some point. “Find My Boy” is an anthem of desperation to locate one’s soulmate - also relatable. And “Apartment Song” is an ode to finding comfort and peace in solitude. Cara sings about the beauty of her apartment and her lack of care for not being the popular one and for being single.
I am in love with every album this Canadian star has released, but In The Meantime takes the cake for me. It could be the pure brilliance of Cara’s voice and lyricism combined, or it could be the stage of my life in which the record came out, but it has stuck like glue and remains a top pick for the end of my year.
6. If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power - Halsey
Unlike anything they have ever released before, Halsey’s new album is heavily influenced by their rock roots that lay within the bands that inspired them to begin writing music. Halsey has always released music along the indie-pop spectrum, but with her dedicated fanbase growing so immensely since the Badlands days, she no longer felt a need to be held back by the genre they began tackling at the start of their career. That being said, while fans came to expect a slightly different vibe with each new album, no one was expecting the cinematic and dramatic tendencies of IICHLIWP. There’s no doubt about why a film had to accompany this album release. With obscure topics of royalty, stardom, motherhood, and death, Halsey decided a full plot was necessary to properly tell her story. Songs like “The Tradition” and “The Lighthouse,” while great tracks either way, simply would not make sense without the context of the partner film. Halsey’s artistry has been displayed in yet another way with their latest album. This multi-talented star has proven to the world, once again, that they are capable of anything.
First of all, there is no way to listen to this record besides cohesively, from front to back. Starting with aforementioned “The Tradition,” there is an immediate difference that can be noted between Halsey’s previous album, Manic, and the sound of this new song. From there, the tracks get even heavier, with guitar and drum beats found on tracks like “Easier Than Lying” and “Lilith,” both of which Halsey belts out with the force of a powerhouse. She establishes herself as knowledgeable and experienced in the field of rock music before we get very deep into the album - which comes as a surprise to those who have never heard them quite like this before!
The record is not entirely heavy, however - it slows down with tracks more personal and less cinematic, like “Darling” and “Ya’aburnee.” Songs like “1121” and “honey” hit close to home with their truth-revealing tendencies. Halsey sheds every layer of the barrier that separates her personal and public lives within tracks such as these, which discuss her pregnancy and sexuality. Something that once bothered them was the extreme publicity of their life - lyrics like “Should be living the dream, but I’m living with a security team” from Manic’s “Still Learning” are a telltale sign of how hellish it must be to have no privacy. However, Halsey seems to own her place in the spotlight proudly now, flaunting all the details that society might find scandalous.
Halsey’s complete lack of care for a mainstream style is echoed immensely through her latest album. Though high numbers on charts are always a nice bonus to making music, they reinforce that this is not what matters to them. Instead, it is the dedicated fanbase and their own dedication to music of all genres. No longer sticking to a binary, their new album pushes so many boundaries and has quickly become the most intriguing record in her discography to analyze.
5. Solar Power - Lorde
Lorde is another artist who stepped outside of her comfort zone this year and put out an album completely different from her previous work. It was a risky move - after the massive success of Pure Heroine and Melodrama, it is hard to follow up with a third masterpiece of a record. Though Solar Power was subject to highly mixed reviews, I personally adored Lorde’s new sound. The freedom to experiment is so important as an artist. Lorde’s disconnection from social media has allowed her to block out any voices of disapproval and just do what she wishes with her own career. This is a hugely admirable move - there’s no point in putting out music if you don’t enjoy it yourself. Not to say Lorde didn’t enjoy her older records, but I’m sure she decided it was time to try something new. This record came out at the perfect time to soundtrack my summer, along with millions more fans.
Before we even get too deep into this record, the most phenomenal thing about it is that we finally hear Lorde in a happy state of mind, comparable to her typical existential, coming-of-age style. While quarantine took a toll on many of our minds, others found it liberating - Lorde seeming to be one of those people. The album immediately opens with summery tunes like “The Path” and lead single “Solar Power,” both of which sing about mental and physical fulfillment, as well as learning to figure out who you are meant to be. She embraces her past and the impact she has on her listeners, but also claims that she is not a saviour and is still healing herself. Deep cuts like “Stoned At The Nail Salon” and “The Man With The Axe” follow this theme, with depressing melodies paired with heartbreaking lyrics. The ‘old’ Lorde, for lack of better terminology, is not completely gone, but she makes it clear she’s put time into bettering herself - and it shows.
The album’s bonus tracks are really great reflections of her improved mental health and self-esteem, as “Helen of Troy” sings to letting go of unhappiness and modernity, and “Hold No Grudge” refers to her lack of anger towards those who have wronged her. Lorde simply does not have the time of day to engage with modern expectancies of women in the spotlight. Despite being one of the biggest names in the indie-pop scene, she lives life by her own guidelines - leading her to love herself again.
Aside from the significance of the few tracks I’ve mentioned, my personal favourite songs from Solar Power are “Fallen Fruit,” “California,” and “Mood Ring.” The former is an ethereal anthem about climate change and the desperate need for the world to realize we are slowly killing our home. Its delivery is phenomenal in that its lyrics leave a lasting impression, but the beat also won’t leave your mind for days after listening. “California” is a melancholy and catchy tune that recounts Lorde’s hatred for stardom and the moment that she realized she had become a household name. Finally, “Mood Ring” is an attempt to get in touch with her own emotions, as well as getting high and not being able to feel anything. She reflects on the passage of time and dissociation.
Lorde is one of many artists this year who braved their way into new genre experimentation, and it worked wonders for her. It is so great to hear her finally happy with her life - after all, becoming a celebrity as a teenager must be an incredibly difficult experience. Whether everyone loves it or not, she is excelling in her field and disconnecting herself from the world’s opinions. I have nothing but admiration and adoration for her and her work.
4. Star-Crossed - Kacey Musgraves
Musgraves, once country’s newest sweetheart, has very quickly become a country-pop princess, beloved by fans of both genres. Maybe it’s her growth as an artist and her newfound comfort with the pop genre, or maybe it’s the hardships she has recently faced in her personal life and a desire to find healing through song, or maybe it’s a mixture thereof — but Star-Crossed is a ridiculously good album. From start to finish, it is meant to be a journey. It recounts the initial excitement of a relationship, the realization it is headed south, the breakup, the trauma response, and finally, the healing. Musgraves’ newest album will go down in history as one of the world’s greatest divorce albums. As someone with admittedly very little relationship experience, I can feel every single emotion written into this album as if a massive breakup is happening to me. Musgraves illustrates the exact feeling of falling in and out of love with someone who means so much to you, who you once thought you’d spend your whole life loving. Self-described as ‘a modern tragedy,’ Star-Crossed easily takes the cake as one of 2021’s greatest releases.
Split into three acts and partnered with a feature film, Musgraves has pushed herself through the immense pain she experienced during her breakup and created an iconic piece of art. Similar to Halsey’s 2021 release, Musgraves felt that writing her music into a movie allowed her art to thrive at its highest potential. The visual companion helps listeners to completely absorb the emotions felt by Musgraves during such a low, uncertain time in her life. Though the film’s story is not as thorough as Halsey’s, the visuals are absolutely stunning. Bringing your vision to life through music is tough enough, but audibly and visually bringing a vision to life is a whole new level of impressive.
The three acts of Star-Crossed pinpoint and split up the exact turning points in Musgraves’ healing process. Love, disbelief, and desperation for her relationship to last are described on pop-infused tracks like “cherry blossom” and “simple times” - a nostalgic track that recounts the days when she could enjoy herself without having to think about grief and loss. After she accepts the fact that her relationship is over, Musgraves uses songs like “breadwinner” and “justified” to explain her anger towards her ex-husband for the role he played in their downfall. Towards the end of Act II, “camera roll” serves as a painful look back on the pair’s years of love towards one another, where Musgraves is left longing to have it back and wondering where it went wrong. Finally, Act III starts with “hookup scene,” leading Musgraves down the risky path of casual meetups with her ex. “keep lookin’ up,” “what doesn’t kill me,” and “there is a light” are the standouts from this act - and the entire album. Anthems not just for those experiencing a breakup, but anyone struggling to get through any difficult circumstance, these songs serve as Musgraves’ self-assurance that things will get better. Whether she truly believes it or not, she writes it into song to manifest it.
The record closes with ethereal “gracias a la vida,” a cover of a classic Spanish track in Musgraves’ own personal rendition. The song is a thank you to life for its lessons and everything it provides, which offered Musgraves inspiration and motivation while writing her record. It is the perfect closing note for this amazing country-pop star in a way we’ve never heard her before. Star-Crossed is an album I fell absolutely in love with this year, and I can only hope that Musgraves’ next project is as emotionally-provoking as this record.
3. Take The Sadness Out of Saturday Night - Bleachers
Putting my personal love and devotion to 2017’s Gone Now aside, the brand new Bleachers record is probably Jack Antonoff’s most impressive piece of work yet. Straying from more modern, artistic influences that I have sensed on his previous two records, TTSOOSN dabbles more in retro, 80’s era influences. With flashy guitar solos, a feature from Bruce Springsteen, and more isolated, slowed vocals, Antonoff embraces a new style. Even more energy is present than in his previous work, and it is all packed into only ten songs lasting for just over a half hour.
After spending so much time writing and producing for other artists over the past few years, putting out Antonoff’s first solo record in 3 years seems to come naturally. It is probably a breath of fresh air to use the influence of his other recent productions to create something original. The vintage, indie vibes found on this record are similar to a mixture of his work on St. Vincent’s Daddy’s Home and Taylor Swift’s folklore. It is pure bliss and combines to create a great record. Standouts include singles “Chinatown” and “Stop Making This Hurt” - while I gravitate towards album tracks as my favourites most of a time, there’s a reason these two were chosen as singles. Their up-tempo, memorable beats serve as defining moments and encapsulate the project as a whole.
Besides these two tracks, Antonoff strips it down for “Strange Behaviour” and “What’d I Do With All This Faith?,” two slow songs that focus more on vocal delivery than anything. I love these two because they are so insanely different than any music he has yet to release. Other standouts include album intro “91,” an uplifting yet simple tune that provides listeners with hope and admiration, and a Lana Del Rey collaboration that works better than anyone would ever guess, entitled “Secret Life.” These two have collaborated in the past, but never with both of their vocals displayed on the same track. The result is a gloriously heartbreaking ballad.
On a personal note, this record hits close to home for me because it was the only concert I got to see live in 2021. During that weird gap in time where covid restrictions ceased to exist until cases went up again, I had the chance to attend Antonoff’s Toronto show in November. It was my second time seeing him perform, and my first seeing him headline. He absolutely did not disappoint, and the energy he brought to the stage brought his songs to life even more than the record does.
All in all, Take The Sadness Out of Saturday Night is just what we need this far into the pandemic. It is quite a bit sadder and slower than any of Antonoff’s other personal work, but it replicates many of the emotions we’ve all been feeling and provides a sense of nostalgia for the flashy music popular in previous decades. Antonoff proves his musical genius once again - but is anyone really surprised at this point?
2. Greatest Hits - Waterparks
After the Entertainment album cycle finished, I admittedly stopped listening to Waterparks as much as I once did. I had nothing against them, I just grew apart from their style for a little while. My appreciation for the album FANDOM is now pretty strong, but back when it first came out, it wasn’t my favourite. When Greatest Hits came out, my first thought was “Why is this called Greatest Hits,” and my second thought was “I’m going to listen to this right now.” Wow, was I ever blown away after my first listen. I don’t know what I was expecting, but what I heard was not it.
By far, this piece of work is the band’s greatest yet. The production has significantly approved, the lyricism is pure genius and extremely revealing, and the band experiments with genre fluidity instead of staying in the box they were once put in to perform in a pop punk style. Throughout its glorious 17 songs, there are quite a few really amazing songs that sound nothing like anything the band has done before. The first track after the intro, “Fuzzy,” is probably my personal favourite. The melody screams ‘summer song’ and echoes similar vibes to those of many pop-rock radio hits. Another top pick is “Violet!” an extremely danceable, but also extremely dark song. The lyrics of this track describe singer Awsten Knight’s experience with a stalker claiming to be a fan of the band and following him around everywhere. The lyrics even reveal that the psychotic stalker would show up at his door, and he would have to lie face down on the floor in hopes it would appear he was not home.
This is an incredibly traumatic experience that unfortunately, many stars go through. Knight’s ability to make art out of it is highly admirable. He also sings about his traumas in “LIKE IT” and “Just Kidding,” which are both angry tracks reflecting mental illness and internal dialogues filled with anxieties. And similar to “Violet!,” “The Secret Life of Me” is one of the album’s most upbeat tracks, but it refers to Knight’s experience with dissociation and an almost manic state of mind. Fame and criticism are referred to in “Snow Globe” and “Magnetic,” and “Fruit Roll Ups” serves as the album’s only love song.
Wrapping up such a heavy, emotional record, are two of the best songs by the band. Emotional and cinematic “Crying Over It All” is Knight’s envisionment of his band’s final fan, and “See You In The Future” (later titled “See You In In The Future” after a fan’s tattoo had a typo) is a fast-paced rap anthem, similar to FANDOM’s “Watch What Happens Next,” where Knight pays homage one last time to his mental health and inner thoughts. Letting them pour out of him like word vomit, this track almost sounds like just one take where he rants on and on until everything is off his chest. It is the perfect conclusion to an already outstanding album. Waterparks’ latest tracks mean the world to me, as well as make me want to give Awsten Knight a big hug and apologize for everything he’s gone through since 2016 when I discovered the band. Undeniably, they have loads of success in their future, and hopefully Knight’s outpour of frustration allows the band’s haters to understand the outcome of their words.
1. Happier Than Ever - Billie Eilish
I felt a lot of emotions this year - not great ones. One record was there through it all, not only as a therapeutic listening experience but as an album whose lyrics perfectly explained some of what I was going through. Personal relationship issues, unhappiness in my external environment, and body dysmorphia. It’s all discussed on teenage star Eilish’s latest record. Authentic, raw, and real, Happier Than Ever strays from the spooky, glamorous, and surreal feeling to her debut record. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP was an excellent piece of work, and many tracks were utterly heart-wrenching, but a lot of the themes discussed are also pure fiction. Her sophomore record only tells truth. No longer hiding behind her signature baggy clothes or the screen that shelters her from the horrors of the outside world, Eilish lets the world know exactly how it feels to be in her shoes, where nothing she does goes unseen.
Happier Than Ever speaks to toxic relationships, secret love affairs, body image, paparazzi, trauma, and growth, all being topics Eilish hasn’t explicitly spoken about very often in the past. Becoming famous at such a young age, it is crucial to set boundaries between the public and the personal. But it seems Eilish has become more comfortable with sharing the most authentic version of herself with the public eye watching over her. She no longer fears the repercussions of discussing once risky topics. In allowing her listeners to view her in such a vulnerable state, Eilish has created the most stunning piece of art in her career thus far.
Intro track, “Getting Older,” is painfully relatable. Coming from a star only slightly older than me, the topics Eilish sings about pertain to many of my experiences growing up. This track discusses growth and regrets, and coming to terms with the fact that sometimes, taking accountability for your own actions is necessary. The following two tracks, “I Didn’t Change My Number” and “Billie Bossa Nova,” are some more of my favourites on the record. Eilish takes ownership of her body and sexuality and sings about cutting toxic relationships out and forming new, exciting relationships in secret. She makes it known that you can’t fuck around with her and get away with it.
These tracks are followed by many more amazing songs that have not left my rotation since July. “Oxytocin” is breathtaking, fun, and danceable. It doesn’t mean much, as Eilish has stated in interviews. It serves more as a filler track. However, it’s dynamic, larger-than-life delivery makes for the perfect live performance once she’s finally able to tour the album. “GOLDWING” is mysterious and consists of a complete earworm of a beat. “Halley’s Comet” is a painstaking song about falling in love and feeling like the person you’re with is the only person you can ever see yourself with. “Not My Responsibility” is a spoken-word track about body image and having your entire life scrutinized under a burning public spotlight, and it is followed by “OverHeated,” a musical track about the same topic. “Your Power” speaks to domestic abuse and predatory behaviour that is all-too common in males, especially. “Male Fantasy” is a slow, bittersweet anthem that ends the album on a reflective note.
Topping off all of these tracks, however, is the title track - “Happier Than Ever.” The first time I heard it, I lost my mind. It starts off slow and somber - and the complete opposite of what one would expect. Especially after hearing the lyric “I’m happier than ever, at least that’s my endeavour” in the opening track, it would be expected that the title track would be about finding genuine happiness. But the lyrics quickly reveal it to be sarcastic, as Eilish’s statement that she’s happier than ever actually comes from being apart from her ex. She softly sings in her signature style about how she wishes it wasn’t true, but it is. Almost too quickly to follow, the track picks up tempo and becomes a heavy rock track complete with Eilish’s screaming in frustration. She calls out how embarrassing and hurtful her ex is, ending the song in her anger being completely released in heavy guitar and yelling.
Whether classified as an anger album or a healing album, Eilish’s sophomore release is iconic in so, so many ways. I cannot begin to explain how much I adored this record this year. It got me through a lot of difficult moments, and I am very thankful for that. There was no better place for it on this ranking than in first place.