Nostalgia is always at a high at the end of the year, so it’s certainly on swole at the end of the/THIS DECADE. Alas, just like that, the 2010s are soon over! Because music is my ~art language~, I can’t help but reminisce on the musical moments that defined the decade for me—moments of pure hype, musical trajectories and trends, I CAN GO ON AND ON. For instance:
Where were you when “Video Games” by Lana Del Rey dropped??
OR WHEN BEYONCÉ RELEASED BEYONCÉ?
When Afrobeats was gaining popularity for azonto… look at the genre now!
The feeling in the air when Azealia Banks came on the scene with “212”, what a time.
The early 2010s EDM explosion
The build-up to “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” with G.O.O.D Fridays and the MBDTF film
M.I.A.’s tumultuous start to the decade–her releasing “Vicki Leekx” (the closest relation to “Kala” and “Arular”-M.I.A) held me over for the 2010s
The grime wave that started up again in the public conscious after “German Whip” by Meridian Dan
2012 giving us both “Oblivion” by Grimes AND “Everything is Embarrassing” by Sky Ferreira
The video for “Otis” by Kanye and Jay-Z !!!!!!
Ethiopian artists in the mainstream! Kelela, namely, giving us “Cut 4 Me”, with bangers like ‘Bank Head’, ‘Cut 4 Me’, and ‘Keep it Cool’!
Perreo/reggaeton, dembow, latin trap, oh my! The current Latin pop/urbano~ resurgence spawned by “Danza Kuduro” and later, “Despacito”
When Jai Paul showed up and disappeared (minus an album leak)
One. Direction.
Remember finally putting a face to The Weeknd?
The excitement of a Girls Aloud reunion!!
STILL, albums are the quintessential memory capsules and there were a lot of fave projects in the 2010s. Here are some below:
An opus for rap albums. Just magical and a “best of” for the ages.
This trilogy run was legendary and the deeply personal music that Beyonce released breathed new life into her artistry.
The quintessential POP album. Smart, gutsy, quirky, and with dance-sensibility. PLUS, it holds what is probably my #1 song of the decade, “Dancing on my Own”.
“Anti” was cute but “Loud” and “Rated R” provided bops for time; the replay-values are high on these two.
Drake provided defining sounds for the decade with his greatest work. “Take Care” highlights all the best he has to offer.
A monumental release that was nostalgic, warm, and mature.
Lady Gaga was such a FORCE with these two simply iconic and dramatic bodies of work, “The Fame Monster” and “Born this Way”. Her gusto is so inspirational.
The greatest rap collab that ever was–smart, playful, innovative. What an exciting time!
For better or for worse, Major Lazer gave us a soundscape and run that cemented their place in dance music. These two albums were their best and imo, they haven’t been the same since. 😔
Madingo gave us a modern classic with “Swedlat Vol. 3”, thoughtful work touching on love and heartbreak.
From one of the most enigmatic stars of the 2010s came this album, an amalgamation of all the most influential sounds in music, turned fresh.
No fluff, no filler, all commanding of the same attention. Queen Adele gave her soul on this album, a standard for time.
Hip-hop EDM~ at its biggest, shiniest, and crispest. TNGHT boldly ushered in an era in 2010s EDM.
Teddy Afro created an instant classic with “Tikur Sew”, a formidable follow-up to his prior album. For context, this post-jail album came after intense anticipation and a huge gap between albums. He immensely delivered.
“Treats” by Sleigh Bells is indefinable but 100% badass. It was one of the works of the decade that further developed and pushed my taste in music.
Can one call music intelligent? Because Disclosure’s thoughtfully-crafted, intricate house album is it. Just FUN.
An excellent Ethiopian pop album with vocals to match. It is earnest, passionate, and completely sing-along-able.
Feelingsssssssss. I don’t understand much of what Rosalia says, but my goodness, the fervor is palpable and will last for time. It’s mesmerizing.
“Ertale” was Jano Band’s convincing and bold interpretation of Ethiopian music that injected much-needed inspiration into the scene.
SOULful, heart-warming, spell-binding. A truly innovative take at electronic music.
An unapologetic (maybe to a fault) and dark trap album that encapsulated all that era offered into an emotional, multilayered sonic experience.
Whew, what an introduction to the scene. Mature, fresh story-telling from an emotive, silky voice.
Sensible, with lyrical and instrumental mastery. Rophnan’s debut album marks an exciting time in the Ethiopian music landscape, one that is changing right before our eyes, with him at the helm.
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