The Sounds She Collected is a newsletter about mixtapes and mixed emotions. Thanks for being part of this hive mind for empathetic, hopeful people.
Well, well, well. We’ve reached the end of *quite* the tumultuous year. Yet it has also been one of the most expansive for me. And it’s that special time of year when “best of” lists begin flooding my inbox. I scan them, queuing up some of the albums and songs I’ve missed. But every year, I can’t help but wonder (yes, I have watched And Just Like That, and yes, it is very bad) if each of our “best of” lists is going to look so radically different, thus rendering these big-name lists obsolete.
Music is so subjective, and our preferences for sounds that will cause our brains to light up like Christmas trees vary so much. That’s one of the reasons why I love sharing music with others—maybe I’m really into the new Mitski song, and then you recommend Sun Ra. There is no end to the music, past and present, that can inspire us in any given moment. There are infinite opportunities for discovery. And I think that’s something to feel hopeful about.
And now, the albums I’ve especially loved this year:
A Beginner’s Mind — Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine
Juno — Remi Wolf
Simple, Sweet, and Smiling — Kacy Hill
Heaux Tales — Jazmine Sullivan
Jubilee — Japanese Breakfast
Live is the King — Jeff Tweedy
times — SG Lewis
MONTERO — Lil Nas X
Walkman — Bad Bad Hats
Quarantine Sessions — Tom Misch
Deciphering The Message — Makaya McCraven
R&B? — Tierra Whack
Mother — Cleo Sol
Letter Blue — Wet
Far In — Helado Negro
GLOW ON — Turnstile
Valentine — Snail Mail
Death of a Cheerleader — Pom Pom Squad
Any Shape You Take — Indigo De Souza
The Pet Parade — Fruit Bats
New Long Leg — Dry Cleaning
CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST — Tyler, The Creator
Blue Banisters — Lana Del Rey
WINK — CHAI
Untourable Album — Men I Trust
SOUR — Olivia Rodrigo
There are some exciting things in the works for next year, and I can’t wait to share them! As we round out 2021, here are a few playlists I hope you’ll love, including playlist 63, featuring some of my favorite songs of the year.
As you’re listening, let me know which songs you’re digging, and any playlist themes you’d like to see next year. It’s the absolute best to hear from you, and I’m so grateful to you for following along with this musical journey. And if you feel moved to, please share with a friend or two. I love seeing this community grow.
To more magic and music in 2022.
Bonus:
My 2021 wrapped
All the songs I loved in 2021
See you next year,
Sarah
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Together, we support: The Loveland Foundation, with a therapy fund that provides financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy nationally.
Bookmark a good read: Jenny Holzer on a Life of Turning Public Spaces Into Art
Something to remember: “We are each made for goodness, love, and compassion. Our lives are transformed as much as the world is when we live with these truths.” —Desmond Tutu