ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7, 2022 ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 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! Results Spoiler 1. "Happier Than Ever" Billie Eilish 2. "Pick Up Your Feelings" Jazmine Sullivan 3. "Introvert" Little Simz 4. "Lost One" Jazmine Sullivan 5. "Woman" Little Simz ft. Cleo Sol 6. "Good 4 U" Olivia Rodrigo 7. "Billie Bossa Nova" Billie Eilish 8. "Oxytocin" Billie Eilish 9. "My Little Love" Adele 10. "Protect My Energy" Little Simz 11. "The Other Side" Jazmine Sullivan 12. "Brutal" Olivia Rodrigo 13. "Posing In Bondage" Japanese Breakfast 14. "Be Sweet" Japanese Breakfast 15. "I Love You, I Hate You" Little Simz 16. "Deja Vu" Olivia Rodrigo 17. "Put It Down" Jazmine Sullivan 18. "Slide Tackle" Japanese Breakfast 19. "Rollin Stone" Little Simz 20. "Bodies (Intro)" Jazmine Sullivan 21. "Fear No Man" Little Simz 22. "Price Tags" Jazmine Sullivan ft. Anderson .Paak 23. "Paprika" Japanese Breakfast 24. "I Didn't Change My Number" Billie Eilish 25. "Jealousy, Jealousy" Olivia Rodrigo 26. "Point and Kill" Little Simz ft. Obongjayar 27. "Kokomo, IN" Japanese Breakfast 28. "Little Q, Pt. 2" Little Simz 29. "All Night Parking" Adele and Erroll Garner 30. "On It" Jazmine Sullivan ft. Ari Lennox 31. "NDA" Billie Eilish 32. "How Did You Get Here" Little Simz 33. "Speed" Little Simz 34. "I See You" Little Simz 35. "Tactics" Japanese Breakfast 36. "My Future" Billie Eilish 37. "Girl Like Me" Jazmine Sullivan ft. H.E.R. 38. "Oh My God" Adele 39. "Miss Understood" Little Simz 40. "Therefore I Am" Billie Eilish 41. "Standing Ovation" Little Simz 42. "To Be Loved" Adele 43. "Two Worlds Apart" Little Simz 44. "Getting Older" Billie Eilish 45. "In Hell" Japanese Breakfast 46. "Posing For Cars" Japanese Breakfast 47. "Your Power" Billie Eilish 48. "Cry Your Heart Out" Adele 49. "OverHeated" Billie Eilish 50. "Drivers License" Olivia Rodrigo 51. "Lost Cause" Billie Eilish 52. "Love Is a Game" Adele 53. "Strangers By Nature" Adele 54. "Goldwing" Billie Eilish 55. "Woman Like Me" Adele 56. "Male Fantasy" Billie Eilish 57. "Can I Get It" Adele 58. "Traitor" Olivia Rodrigo 59. "Easy On Me" Adele 60. "I Drink Wine" Adele 61. "Sit" Japanese Breakfast 62. "Favorite Crime" Olivia Rodrigo 63. "Savage Good Boy" Japanese Breakfast 64. "Halley's Comet" Billie Eilish 65. "Wild Wild West" Adele 66. "The Rapper That Came to Tea (Interlude)" Little Simz 67. "Rashida's Tale" Jazmine Sullivan 68. "Hold On" Adele 69. "Donna's Tale" Jazmine Sullivan 70. "Enough For You" Olivia Rodrigo 71. "Ari's Tale" Jazmine Sullivan 72. "Gems (Interlude)" Little Simz 73. "Happier" Olivia Rodrigo 74. "Hope Ur OK" Olivia Rodrigo 75. "Everybody Dies" Billie Eilish 76. "Amanda's Tale" Jazmine Sullivan 77. "Can't Be Together" Adele 78. "Never Make Promises (Interlude)" Little Simz 79. "Not My Responsibility" Billie Eilish 80. "1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back" Olivia Rodrigo 81. "The Garden (Interlude)" Little Simz 82. "Antoinette's Tale" Jazmine Sullivan 83. "Little Q, Pt. 1 (Interlude)" Little Simz 84. "Precious' Tale" Jazmine Sullivan 85. "Easy On Me" Adele and Chris Stapleton Participants Spoiler @ultraviolence.xx @Insanity @Saddy @MP2K @madonnas @Lucas32 @Ewan Chaos @Fitzswiftie @Invisibility @Ace Reject @BnPac @McNulty @creativity. @Eric. @Taemira @Norte @Quicksand @Reverie @Born to Run
BlackoutZone Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 Replace Sour with Blue Weekend, also surprised by Daddy's Home absence
ATRL Moderator Ace Reject Posted June 7, 2022 ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 Finally! The bitch is back!
ATRL Moderator Ace Reject Posted June 7, 2022 ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 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!
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7, 2022 Author ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 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.
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7, 2022 Author ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 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?
Invisibility Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 Sour and 30 should make up the entire bottom 10/15 Expect my votes!
Invisibility Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 Oh and we can only vote in whole numbers i.e. no .5's, right?
BlackoutZone Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 6 minutes ago, supaspaz said: But you're going to participate anyway, right? yessir!
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7, 2022 Author ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 "Happier Than Ever"/"Brutal"/"Can I Get It"/"Lost One"/"Rollin Stone"/"Posing In Bondage" for top six. Please and thank you!
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7, 2022 Author ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 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!
Alex Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 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!
Fancyhoodlum Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 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
ATRL Moderator Ace Reject Posted June 7, 2022 ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 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.
Selegend Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 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.
Rigalo Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 Oou I’m interested, need to listen to two of the projects tho lol
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7, 2022 Author ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 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!
greento Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 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
ATRL Moderator supaspaz Posted June 7, 2022 Author ATRL Moderator Posted June 7, 2022 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!
Ewan Chaos Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 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!
jqnetto Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 Not 30 No way it is actually more acclaimed than Home Video, Mercurial World or Blue Weekend, right?
305 Posted June 7, 2022 Posted June 7, 2022 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
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