ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7 ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 Can you remember the inkling of hope you felt as 2021 dawned? Amid the worst surge yet of the coronavirus pandemic, there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel as the government launched its mass vaccination campaign. The sense that things could finally be getting better was affirmed when, all of a week into the new year, Jazmine Sullivan dropped Heaux Tales, the woman once held aloft as R&B’s next great hope emerging from half a decade in the wilderness with the confirmation of her genius that we had all been waiting for. Of course, things would rapidly go south – an insurrection at the Capitol when we had barely gotten over our New Year’s Eve hangovers was followed by the resumption of mass shootings, a deadly concert hosted by one of music’s biggest names and the slow-dawning realization that this virus was just going to keep coming back again. But the music never stopped being great! January wasn’t even over when we had already found the breakout star of the year, Olivia Rodrigo, a pop supernova who exploded onto the scene with the fully-formed vision of her instantly iconic debut album, Sour. Billie Eilish returned in the summer with Happier Than Ever, deftly avoiding the sophomore slump with a stunner that soared past the artistic heights – if not the commercial success – of her Grammy-sweeping debut. And the indie breakthroughs of Japanese Breakfast’s Jubilee and Little Simz’s Sometimes I Might Be Introvert earned them both well-deserved Best New Artist celebrations, albeit several albums into their careers. Then, as we entered another socially-distanced holiday season, Adele returned at last to wipe away (or perhaps indulge) our blues with the most-anticipated release in years: her divorce album, 30, a blockbuster that also took her lauded career to new creative triumph. Now things turn over to you, the good voters of ATRL. Which of 2021’s biggest and best albums was your favorite? You can help decide the winner by ranking each of these 85 songs on a scale of 1-10 and then sending me your ballot by Sunday, July 3. Please listen to everything again at least once before submitting. I want honest assessments, not scores based on your memory or biases. Up to two decimal points are allowed. Feel free to include commentary if you are so moved. And no trolling or your vote will be tossed. Happy listening! Songs Spoiler HEAUX TALES “Bodies (Intro)” “Antoinette’s Tale” “Pick Up Your Feelings” “Ari’s Tale” “Put It Down” “On It” “Donna’s Tale” “Price Tags” “Rashida’s Tale” “Lost One” “Precious’ Tale” “The Other Side” “Amanda’s Tale” “Girl Like Me” SOUR (11 songs) “Brutal” “Traitor” “Drivers License” “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” “Deja Vu” “Good For You” “Enough For You” “Happier” “Jealousy, Jealousy” “Favorite Crime” “Hope Ur OK” JUBILEE “Paprika” “Be Sweet” “Kokomo, IN” “Slide Tackle” “Posing In Bondage” “Sit” “Savage Good Boy” “In Hell” “Tactics” “Posing For Cars” HAPPIER THAN EVER “Getting Older” “I Didn’t Change My Number” “Billie Bossa Nova” “My Future” “Oxytocin” “Goldwing” “Lost Cause” “Halley’s Comet” “Not My Responsibility” “Overheated” “Everybody Dies” “Your Power” “NDA” “Therefore I Am” “Happier Than Ever” “Male Fantasy” SOMETIMES I MIGHT BE INTROVERT “Introvert” “Woman” “Two Worlds Apart” “I Love You, I Hate You” “Little Q, Pt. 1 (Interlude)” “Little Q, Pt. 2” “Gems (Interlude)” “Speed” “Standing Ovation” “I See You” “The Rapper That Came to Tea (Interlude)” “Rollin Stone” “Protect My Energy” “Never Make Promises (Interlude)” “Point and Kill” “Fear No Man” “The Garden (Interlude)” “How Did You Get Here” “Miss Understood” 30 “Strangers By Nature” “Easy On Me” “My Little Love” “Cry Your Heart Out” “Oh My God” “Can I Get It” “I Drink Wine” “All Night Parking” “Woman Like Me” “Hold On” “To Be Loved” “Love Is a Game” “Wild Wild West” “Can’t Be Together” “Easy On Me” with Chris Stapleton Participants Spoiler @ultraviolence.xx @Insanity @Saddy @MP2K @madonnas @Lucas32 @Ewan Chaos @Fitzswiftie @Invisibility Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackoutZone Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Replace Sour with Blue Weekend, also surprised by Daddy's Home absence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerousalex Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 where is Planet Her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator Ace Reject Posted June 7 ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 Finally! The bitch is back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator Ace Reject Posted June 7 ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 1 minute ago, dangerousalex said: where is Planet Her? Critically acclaimed albums babe. Planet Her will be in THIS WAS POP 2021, alongside Lil Nas X, Silk Sonic, and Bieber! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7 Author ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 3 minutes ago, dangerousalex said: where is Planet Her? Not at the top of critics' list. Doja belongs in the This Was Pop 2021 rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7 Author ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 6 minutes ago, BlackoutZone said: Replace Sour with Blue Weekend, also surprised by Daddy's Home absence But you're going to participate anyway, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invisibility Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Sour and 30 should make up the entire bottom 10/15 Expect my votes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invisibility Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Oh and we can only vote in whole numbers i.e. no .5's, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackoutZone Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 6 minutes ago, supaspaz said: But you're going to participate anyway, right? yessir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7 Author ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 "Happier Than Ever"/"Brutal"/"Can I Get It"/"Lost One"/"Rollin Stone"/"Posing In Bondage" for top six. Please and thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7 Author ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 4 minutes ago, Invisibility said: Oh and we can only vote in whole numbers i.e. no .5's, right? Decimal points are definitely allowed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerousalex Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 13 minutes ago, Ace Reject said: Critically acclaimed albums babe. Planet Her will be in THIS WAS POP 2021, alongside Lil Nas X, Silk Sonic, and Bieber! 11 minutes ago, supaspaz said: Not at the top of critics' list. Doja belongs in the This Was Pop 2021 rate. well i will be tuning in for THAT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fancyhoodlum Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 HEAUX TALES “Pick Up Your Feelings”10 “Put It Down” 8 “Lost One” 9 HAPPIER THAN EVER “My Future” 7 “Oxytocin” 6 “Lost Cause” 8 “Halley’s Comet” “Your Power” 7 “nda” 6 “Therefore I Am” 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddy Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 I want to participate, so sign me up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator Ace Reject Posted June 7 ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 17 minutes ago, Invisibility said: Sour and 30 should make up the entire bottom 10/15 Expect my votes! Let's not with this!!! Bodies for top ten please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selegend Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 wow, there's 3 albums/artists that i've NEVER heard about they were probably very local, USA only. literally never heard about it. going to check some songs later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rigalo Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Oou I’m interested, need to listen to two of the projects tho lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7 Author ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 7 minutes ago, Selegend said: wow, there's 3 albums/artists that i've NEVER heard about they were probably very local, USA only. literally never heard about it. going to check some songs later. Well, now is your opportunity to tap into the zeitgeist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naval23 Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Happier Than Ever deserves #1 (the song) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greento Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 This is a weird set of albums, I fear Adele Billie and Olivia should have been saved for this was pop 2021. I might participate anyway, Posing in Bondage for #1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7 Author ATRL Moderator Share Posted June 7 18 minutes ago, greento said: This is a weird set of albums, I fear Adele Billie and Olivia should have been saved for this was pop 2021. Too acclaimed and successful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewan Chaos Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Oh poptimism lmao. Though it 100% makes sense why all of these did so well critically even if I don't agree. Heaux Tales, Jubilee, Happier Than Ever Definitely panning one of the other three. I need to just push all of this out sometime next week or the week after but I'll hopefully be working on this soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jqnetto Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 Not 30 No way it is actually more acclaimed than Home Video, Mercurial World or Blue Weekend, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
305 Posted June 7 Share Posted June 7 1 hour ago, supaspaz said: Not at the top of critics' list. Doja belongs in the This Was Pop 2021 rate. I hope to see Solar Power on there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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