My Top 10 Albums of 2021 by Lauren Payne

2021 was a weird year for me on a couple of levels.

Firstly, I experienced my first full-on lockdown (I got lucky in 2020, I guess) and everything I loved as a tween/teen was suddenly cool again?!

People are wearing low rise jeans now, I own butterfly clips again and everyone seems to have a beaded phone charm (also since we all have smart phones and not brick Nokia’s with built-in hooks, I don’t actually know where those charms are hanging from?!).

This resurgence kind of led me back down the pop-punk path I was on when I was 15 – feeling my feelings and what not. I also enjoyed easy-going music, albums that made me feel comfortable, relaxed, zen and really just like I could chill out.

For me, while 2020 was indescribable, 2021 was just odd. I’m keen to see what happens in 2022!

The emoji that best sums up my year: ????

1. Holiday87 – “Holiday87”

2. Lucky Idiot – “Eat Up”

3. Squidgenini – “SQUID”

4. SG Lewis – “times”

5. daste – “dusk&dawn”

6. L’Imperatrice – “Tako Tsubo”

7. Flight Facilities – “FOREVER”

8. Palms – “Intensity Sunshine”

9. Dameer – “For We Are Distant”

10. WILLOW – “lately I feel EVERYTHING”