72 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020year in culture / the critics1.
Wilco, Ode to Joy
The argument for Wilco as one of
the great American rock bands of
the 21st century rests on its abil-
ity to synthesize the disorienting
mood of the past few decades: the
scent of wars around the edges of
comfort, the awareness of disorder
wrapped in the detachment from
it. Wilco has done it across nearly
three decades now, modeling torpid
’90s ennui throughout 1996’s Being
There, jacking into the jittery anxiet-
ies and technophilia-slash-phobia
of the early aughts on 2002’s Yankee
Hotel Foxtrot, and fighting to stay
positive against the odds on this
year’s Ode to Joy. Through jingles
about cemeteries and tribal dirges
lamenting the endlessness of war, a
picture of a people trying to hang on
to a sense of normalcy emerges. That
the band manages to reconfigure its
own roots-rock sound into a darker,
more wily one in the process is the
mark of a group of legends at work.
2.
Solange, When I Get Home
When I Get Home mixes jazz, soul,
hip-hop, dance, and screw music into
a fever dream about the comforts
of home. Inspired by the fearless,
unpredictable musicality of artists
like Stevie Wonder—specifically, by
the stretch in the ’70s when he fol-
lowed the masterful Songs in the Key
of Life with a murky, chaotic album
of songs about plants—Solange
deconstructs the warm neo-soul of
2016’s A Seat at the Table, reducingTHE TEN
BEST
ALBUMS OF
THE YEAR
By craig jenkinssmooth grooves to the synth and
drum vamps they’re made of.
3.
Vampire Weekend,
Father of the Bride
Resilient Vampire Weekend fans who
waited six years for a sequel to 2013’s
pop-smart Modern Vampires of the
City were treated this past spring to
Father of the Bride, a double album
teeming with new sounds and ideas.
“Unbearably White” takes a crack at
soul. “Sunflower” recruits the Inter-
net’s Steve Lacy for a blast of Zappa-
esque prog rock. “2021” samples
Japanese electronic-music auteur
Haruomi Hosono. Guiding the ship is
Ezra Koenig’s natural ear for gripping
melodies and engaging storytelling.
4.
FKA Twigs, Magdalene
Life gave Beyoncé lemons, and she
made Lemonade. FKA Twigs had a
breakup, plus emergency surgery to
remove painful fibroid tumors she
described as the size of fruits (two
cooking apples, three kiwis, and
a couple of strawberries), and she
returned with Magdalene, an ele-
gant cycle about redrawing bound-
aries and relearning trust after a
rough patch. It plays out more like
an internal dialogue from a multi-
faceted artist giving herself a pep
talk. The production splits the dif-
ference between abrasive electron-
ics and tender piano sounds, some-
times in the space of a single song.
5.
Brittany Howard, Jaime
For her debut solo album, Alabama PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW CHIN/GETTY IMAGES (REY); ZACHARY MAZUR/FILMMAGIC (CONWAY THE MACHINE); KYLE GUSTAFSON/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES (SIMPSON); NATHAN CONGLETON/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK (HOWARD); BLACK PLANT (SOLANGE); TERENCE PATRICK/CBS (KOENING) PHOTOGRAPHS: STEVE JENNINGS/GETTY IMAGES (TWIGS); SCOTT DUDELSON/GETTY IMAGES (GIBBS); LLOYD BISHOP/NBC (TWEEDY); ANDREW LIPOVSKY/NBC (HIGHWOMEN)TRANSMITTED
REVISED
________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC2619CR_YIC_section_lay [Print]_36372551.indd 72 12/17/19 6:10 PM
december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020 | new york 73
1.
Lana Del Rey,
“The Greatest”
The Trump era, climate
change, and the “death”
of her idols have lit a fire
under Del Rey’s pen. “The
Greatest” is a eulogy for
the culture, ’cause Lana is
ready to burn it all to hell.
2.
Selena Gomez, “Lose
You to Love Me”
Gomez opens up
about her personal life,
and it’s a tremendous
benefit to the work.
3.
Rosalía and J Balvin
ft. El Guincho,
“Con Altura”
The leading voices of
música urbana and
flamenco pop collaborate
with one of reggaeton’s
most exciting new stars,
Barcelona’s El Guincho.
The result is cultural
fusion done beautifully.
4.
Solange, “Almeda”
This song lists as gospel
the rich qualities of
blackness (be it our liquor
of choice or the versatility
of our hair) that make
us us: often imitated
but never duplicated.
5.
Billie Eilish,
“Bad Guy”
Eilish playfully postures as
wiser than her 17 years, all
to prove she answers to
no man—a solid metaphor
for the way she has turned
an industry, overcrowded
by men, on its head.
6.
Lizzo, “Juice”
Despite its made-for-
the-roller-rink-circa-1981
energy, “Juice” is a breath
of fresh air, like everything
to do with Lizzo.
7.
FKA Twigs,
“Cellophane”
An icy ballad about
giving up privacy and a
certain sense of identity
but finding something
better along the way.
8.
Brockhampton,
“Sugar”
Between BTS and
Brockhampton, the boy
band is thriving. It’s just
that nowadays your
typical boy band might
be a diverse, 16-member
collective crooning
about drug abuse and
codependency.
9.
Megan Thee
Stallion ft. DaBaby,
“Cash Shit”
Two of the year’s
most electrifying new
rappers exchange
chest-puffing verses.
10.
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray
Cyrus, “Old Town
Road (Remix)”
It’s fitting that an
endorsement from
a country pariah
boosted “Old Town
Road” to become one
of the biggest songs
in modern history.Top Ten
Songs
By
dee lockettShakes singer and guitarist Howard
steps out on her own in more ways
than one. She sings, writes, plays gui-
tar, and produces. She opens up with
stories about her youth. “He Loves
Me” speaks to experiencing faith apart
from the formalities of religion, while
“Georgia” recalls growing up having
same-sex crushes in the devout South.
“Goat Head” revisits learning that
people didn’t approve of her parents’
interracial union. The uniqueness of
these memories is mirrored in the
music, a mélange of styles touching on
funk, rock, soul, hip-hop, and synth
rock, making disparate noises feel
closer by nature of her wide-ranging
tastes and powerhouse musical chops.
6.
Freddie Gibbs and
Madlib, Bandana
Gibbs raps like the Terminator ter-
minates—all credible threats and
ceaseless forward motion. He’s almost
inhumanely good at it. It’s little wonder
that Gibbs has found one of his great-
est collaborators in West Coast sample
whiz Madlib, whose beats get stoned
and loose in all the places where Gibbs’s
raps tend to be tightly wound. On
Bandana, the duo syncs up and deliv-
ers a record better than the sum of its
parts, a selection of beats and rhymes
so hard that everyone involved (includ-
ing guests Killer Mike, Anderson
.Paak, Pusha T, Yasiin Bey, and Black
Thought) is elevated in the process.
7.
Lana Del Rey, Norman
Fucking Rockwell!
Like a Great American Novel, Nor-man Fucking Rockwell! opens in
turbulence and closes on a glint
of hope. The opening title track
demolishes an ex for caring more
about intellectual pursuits than
being a fun hang. By “Hope Is a
Dangerous Thing for a Woman
Like Me to Have—But I Have It,”
Lana is done with emotionally
unavailable men. The near hour
of music between the two songs
is spent redesigning the singer’s
worldview. Del Rey invented an
intriguing alter ego with 2012’s
Born to Die, but Norman Fucking
Rockwell! allows her to escape
that album’s prophecy. Imagine
a Great Gatsby in which Jay skips
town, mellows out, and enjoys his
money in the Hollywood Hills.
8.
The Highwomen,
The Highwomen
The members of this country quar-
tet come from different walks of
life. Maren Morris is a pop-country
star who could cross over any
time she wants. Amanda Shires
is a formidable solo artist and a
fiddle player with her husband
Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit. Natalie
Hemby is a Nashville hit-maker
who recently began singing her
songs herself. Brandi Carlile is
an acclaimed singer-songwriter
whose pen is sharp enough to have
earned nominations for most of
the top honors at last year’s Gram-
mys. Together, their perspectives
create a patchwork of modern
America, telling stories aboutmotherhood, same-sex love, care-
free youth, and stately adulthood.
9.
Sturgill Simpson,
Sound & Fury
In four albums, Kentucky trou-
badour Simpson evolved from
rising country star to critically
acclaimed singer-songwriter to
Nashville outlaw to rock star mak-
ing records about the stresses of
making records. This year’s Sound
& Fury continues the move away
from pure country that began with
2016’s ambitious concept album, A
Sailor’s Guide to Earth, and doubles
down on the smoking rock grooves
Simpson lets loose at live shows
but less often in the quiet of his
studio albums. Sound & Fury is
a trek through stoner metal, New
Wave, synth pop, southern rock,
and brash J-pop. The album’s full
of surprises, and if you can spare
the time, you should watch the
accompanying Netflix anime.
10.
Griselda Records, WWCD
Buffalo brothers Westside Gunn
and Conway the Machine and their
longtime associate (and cousin)
Benny the Butcher are Griselda, a
rap crew whose hard-nosed punch
lines, effortless flows, and intricate
storytelling brought them to the
attention of our patron saint of
internal rhyme, Eminem. Their
Shady Records debut, WWCD,
is sharp as a shiv. The beats
bang, and the quotables run fast
PHOTOGRAPHS: ANDREW CHIN/GETTY IMAGES (REY); ZACHARY MAZUR/FILMMAGIC (CONWAY THE MACHINE); KYLE GUSTAFSON/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES (SIMPSON); NATHAN CONGLETON/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK (HOWARD); BLACK PLANT (SOLANGE); TERENCE PATRICK/CBS (KOENING) PHOTOGRAPHS: STEVE JENNINGS/GETTY IMAGES (TWIGS); SCOTT DUDELSON/GETTY IMAGES (GIBBS); LLOYD BISHOP/NBC (TWEEDY); ANDREW LIPOVSKY/NBC (HIGHWOMEN) and hot like a river of blood.TRANSMITTEDREVISED
Y ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC ________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC2619CR_YIC_section_lay [Print]_36372551.indd 73 12/17/19 6:10 PMdecember 23, 2019–january 5, 2020| newyork 731.
LanaDelRey,
“TheGreatest”
TheTrumpera, climate
change,andthe“death”
ofheridolshavelita fire
underDelRey’spen.“The
Greatest”is a eulogyfor
theculture, ’causeLanais
readytoburnit alltohell.
2.
SelenaGomez,“Lose
YoutoLoveMe”
Gomezopensup
aboutherpersonallife,
andit’sa tremendous
benefittothework.
3.
RosalíaandJ Balvin
ft.ElGuincho,
“ConAltura”
Theleadingvoicesof
músicaurbanaand
flamencopopcollaborate
withoneofreggaeton’s
mostexcitingnewstars,
Barcelona’sEl Guincho.
Theresultis cultural
fusiondonebeautifully.
4.
Solange,“Almeda”
Thissonglistsasgospel
therichqualitiesof
blackness(beit ourliquor
ofchoiceortheversatility
ofourhair)thatmake
usus:oftenimitated
butneverduplicated.
5.
BillieEilish,
“BadGuy”
Eilishplayfullyposturesas
wiserthanher 17 years, all
toprovesheanswersto
noman—asolidmetaphor
forthewayshehasturned
anindustry, overcrowded
bymen,onitshead.
6.
Lizzo,“Juice”
Despiteitsmade-for-
the-roller-rink-circa-1981
energy, “Juice”is a breath
offreshair, like everything
todowithLizzo.
7.
FKATwigs,
“Cellophane”
Anicyballadabout
givingupprivacyanda
certainsenseofidentity
butfindingsomething
betteralongtheway.
8.
Brockhampton,
“Sugar”
BetweenBTS and
Brockhampton,theboy
bandis thriving.It’s just
thatnowadays your
typicalboybandmight
bea diverse, 16-member
collectivecrooning
aboutdrugabuseand
codependency.
9.
Megan Thee
Stallion ft. DaBaby,
“Cash Shit”
Two of the year’s
most electrifyingnew
rappersexchange
chest-puffingverses.
10.
Lil Nas Xft.BillyRay
Cyrus, “OldTown
Road (Remix)”
It’s fittingthatan
endorsementfrom
a countrypariah
boosted“OldTown
Road” to becomeone
of the biggestsongs
in modernhistory.TopTen
Songs
By
deelockettShakes singer and guitarist Howard
steps out on her own in more ways
than one. She sings, writes, plays gui-
tar, and produces. She opens up with
stories about her youth. “He Loves
Me” speaks to experiencing faith apart
from the formalities of religion, while
“Georgia” recalls growing up having
same-sex crushes in the devout South.
“Goat Head” revisits learning that
people didn’t approve of her parents’
interracial union. The uniqueness of
these memories is mirrored in the
music, a mélange of styles touching on
funk, rock, soul, hip-hop, and synth
rock, making disparate noises feel
closer by nature of her wide-ranging
tastes and powerhouse musical chops.
6.
Freddie Gibbs and
Madlib, Bandana
Gibbs raps like the Terminator ter-
minates—all credible threats and
ceaseless forward motion. He’s almost
inhumanely good at it. It’s little wonder
that Gibbs has found one of his great-
est collaborators in West Coast sample
whiz Madlib, whose beats get stoned
and loose in all the places where Gibbs’s
raps tend to be tightly wound. On
Bandana, the duo syncs up and deliv-
ers a record better than the sum of its
parts, a selection of beats and rhymes
so hard that everyone involved (includ-
ing guests Killer Mike, Anderson
.Paak, Pusha T, Yasiin Bey, and Black
Thought) is elevated in the process.
7.
Lana Del Rey, Norman
Fucking Rockwell!
Like a Great American Novel, Nor-man Fucking Rockwell! opens in
turbulence and closes on a glint
of hope. The opening title track
demolishes an ex for caring more
about intellectual pursuits than
being a fun hang. By “Hope Is a
Dangerous Thing for a Woman
Like Me to Have—But I Have It,”
Lana is done with emotionally
unavailable men. The near hour
of music between the two songs
is spent redesigning the singer’s
worldview. Del Rey invented an
intriguing alter ego with 2012’s
Born to Die, but Norman Fucking
Rockwell! allows her to escape
that album’s prophecy. Imagine
a Great Gatsby in which Jay skips
town, mellows out, and enjoys his
money in the Hollywood Hills.
8.
The Highwomen,
The Highwomen
The members of this country quar-
tet come from different walks of
life. Maren Morris is a pop-country
star who could cross over any
time she wants. Amanda Shires
is a formidable solo artist and a
fiddle player with her husband
Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit. Natalie
Hemby is a Nashville hit-maker
who recently began singing her
songs herself. Brandi Carlile is
an acclaimed singer-songwriter
whose pen is sharp enough to have
earned nominations for most of
the top honors at last year’s Gram-
mys. Together, their perspectives
create a patchwork of modern
America, telling stories aboutmotherhood, same-sex love, care-
free youth, and stately adulthood.
9.
Sturgill Simpson,
Sound & Fury
In four albums, Kentucky trou-
badour Simpson evolved from
rising country star to critically
acclaimed singer-songwriter to
Nashville outlaw to rock star mak-
ing records about the stresses of
making records. This year’s Sound
& Fury continues the move away
from pure country that began with
2016’s ambitious concept album, A
Sailor’s Guide to Earth, and doubles
down on the smoking rock grooves
Simpson lets loose at live shows
but less often in the quiet of his
studio albums. Sound & Fury is
a trek through stoner metal, New
Wave, synth pop, southern rock,
and brash J-pop. The album’s full
of surprises, and if you can spare
the time, you should watch the
accompanying Netflix anime.
10.
Griselda Records, WWCD
Buffalo brothers Westside Gunn
and Conway the Machine and their
longtime associate (and cousin)
Benny the Butcher are Griselda, a
rap crew whose hard-nosed punch
lines, effortless flows, and intricate
storytelling brought them to the
attention of our patron saint of
internal rhyme, Eminem. Their
Shady Records debut, WWCD,
is sharp as a shiv. The beats
bang, and the quotables run fast
PHOTOGRAPHS: STEVE JENNINGS/GETTY IMAGES (TWIGS); SCOTT DUDELSON/GETTY IMAGES (GIBBS); LLOYD BISHOP/NBC (TWEEDY); ANDREW LIPOVSKY/NBC (HIGHWOMEN) and hot like a river of blood.