Artist of the year
Adrian:
Quavo
Quavo worked tirelessly throughout the year, spreading himself on seemingly every hip-hop album that was released this year. 2017 brought Quavo a world-wide tour and tons of highly acclaimed features.
Leslie:
Mac DeMarco
Mac DeMarco is among few artists who keep the same sound and don’t sound tired. His eccentric personality and soft melodies are one of a kind. For being such a goofy guy, his music can be very serious. His ability to be both make him a strong artist and one of my favorites.
Eddie:
Mac DeMarco
Mac grew leaps and bounds this year. Not only did he show his critics that familiarity doesn’t necessarily equate to staleness when it comes to his sound. Yes, he might use the same dreamy synth + lo-fi guitar formula in most of his recordings, but it is an endearing recipe that has made him a worldwide success.
Album of year
Adrian:
Scum Fuck Flower Boy
As this year wraps up, there’s only one album that was so entirely well-rounded with dominant lyrics, skilled production and interesting features. Unlike his previous albums, this project featured a lot of risks.
Leslie:
This Old Dog
“This Old Dog” is without a doubt my favorite album this year. This album puts you in a trance you never want to wake up from. You have to admire the way DeMarco arranges the music so well in this project. I know this is one I’ll keep playing for years to come.
Eddie:
This Old Dog
The word I would use to describe this album would be sincere. DeMarco is at his most vulnerable in this album. Perhaps the only criticism found here is the lack of the artist’s colorful commentary on serious matters, but his more professional tone is a strength of this LP.
Biggest surprise of the year
Adrian:
Jaden Smith
Who knew Jaden Smith could spit bars on tracks like “Breakfast,” or hit catchy hooks on “Ninety” or work effectively with a well-produced product and turn it into something admirable.
Leslie:
Lorde’s Melodrama
I had no idea what to expect from Lorde’s second studio album. Her freshman release, “Pure Heroin” was stunning and impressive coming from a 17-year-old but I had no hopes for “Melodrama.” Lorde only got better. Her lyrics, her vocals and the production are all amazing.
Eddie:
2 Chainz’s Pretty Girls Like Trap Music
With his most professional and focused release to date, the Atlanta rapper found a good balance of catchy and layered instrumentals with a dose of his characteristic lyrics that border absurdity.
Biggest disappointment of the year
Adrian:
HAIM
Their most recent record that had been in the works since 2014 seemed like it was going to be the group’s rise to stardom, but upon its release it felt complex and all over the place.
Leslie:
Reputation
As a loyal Taylor Swift fan, there was nothing I was excited about more than the release of Taylor’s sixth studio album. The entire album (“Reputation”) was released Nov. 10 and the entire thing was a petty attack at everyone who once bashed on Taylor. Her lyrics suffered the most. She was a complete disappointment.
Eddie:
Reputation
There was no project more fitting than “Reputation” for this category. Swift’s seeming absence from the public eye only fed the hype machine that surrounds her artistic mystique, and for her to release a project that feels mistakenly prepotent—to a point of hubris—was underwhelming.
Comeback artist of the year
Adrian:
2 Chainz
I’m looking at “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music” as one of the top gems of 2017. 2 Chainz hadn’t released a serious solo album since 2015, and “PGLTM” kind of came out of nowhere.
Leslie:
Gorillaz
Gorillaz took a 7-year break between “The Fall” and “Humanz.” The former was a very disappointing and poorly executed project. “Humanz” received generally positive reviews. They did a good job at incorporating fun sounds with slightly darker political themes.
Eddie:
King Krule
Archy Marshall’s focus displayed during the “The OOZ” recording sessions is palpable. After a four year absence, the ghoulish jazz samples combined with Marshall’s post-punk influence make “The OOZ” the most complex King Krule release yet.
Breakout artist of the year
Adrian:
Mac DeMarco
Mac returned to the forefront of the indie scene this year with an effortlessly masterful album. The classic under-the-radar Mac has been put to bed
Leslie:
The xx
The xx aren’t exactly a new group, but this year’s release completely changed their sound in the best way possible. “I See You” does a great job at showing just how much they can do. This is something you can’t stop thinking about. Their growth as a group make them the breakout artists of the year.
Eddie:
Brockhampton
The Texas-born hip-hop collective provided the genre with some of the most colorful verses we have seen in years. The multiple personalities and ideologies all mesh so well in all of their songs, making it difficult to find weaknesses in their “Saturation” trilogy.
