This year was great for music across the board and gave us a wide-range of sounds. From underground artists to mainstream we made a list of our 40 best projects of 2023 in no particular order.
Rauw Alejandro, Playa Saturno
The Grammy nominated Puerto Rican singer has been one of the leading Latin artists in recent memory and dropped not one but two projects in 2023 including the highly popular ‘Saturno’ in January and ending the year with ‘Playa Saturno’ in July. Though both of these albums
Favorite Song: DILUVIO
Yeat, AfterLyfë
This list wouldn’t be complete without hearing the name “Yeat” at all. Blowing up is an understatement, landing 2.1 billion streams on Spotify alone. February began his year with his highly anticipated album following his release of “Lyfë” in 2022 named “AfterLyfë”. The album solidified that there is definitely space in the rap game for “mumble” rappers, but he went above and beyond this, proving he has more to offer than solely murmuring into the mic. BNYX and Yeat were arguably the producer / rapper duo of the year, and their individual talents are coming together to help each other travel to an area unforeseen in music: an exciting prospect for music fans across the globe.
Favorite Song: Mysëlf
Russ, Santiago
The New Jersey born artist has more than a decade under his belt in the industry but has not fallen off yet. Taking its inspiration from the award-winning book ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Cohelo the album is an deep-dive into the life of Russ and his journey thus far in life…as he puts it:
“It’s my journey to self love and self mastery while touching on the obstacles that have provided resistance along the way… Feelings of emptiness, inadequacy, imposter syndrome, anger, issues from my childhood and how they’ve shown up in my adult life, etc. It’s the most vulnerable music I’ve ever made and I had to do a lot of excavations to make it. It was a confronting experience and I hope it resonates with people who are trying to navigate the obstacles on their own journey.”
Favorite Song: Fraud
The Kid Laroi, The First Time
After his debut album 2 years ago, we all wondered where was the Kid Laroi. I think we can all agree this project was well worth the wait, as it was one of the most well thought out albums of the year. Every song was versatile and showed his range from being more than a pop-star and going back to his hip-hop roots that everyone first loved. ‘Bleed’ was the song of the album by far and Laroi even describes it as the ‘favorite song he ever made’. It is an extremely catchy and emotional track about going through a breakup and watching someone else move on, while you mourn. Laroi is back people and has a song for every mood on this one.
Favorite Song: BLEED
Tom the Mailman, 71ØS
Tom the Mailman has been one of our favorite artists for years and consistently putting out good work that doesn’t get enough love. In our opinion 71ØS was a masterpiece and had two of our favorite songs of the year in ‘Heaven’s Waters” and “Take Time”. His voice is unlike any other in the industry right now and he echoes these striking melodies that are full of heartache. What really is amazing about Tom in this album is his ability to switch genres from that indie-pop sound to rock, in the blink-of-an-eye and sometimes even within the same track. This is absolutely an artist to watch in 2024.
Favorite Song: Heaven’s Waters
Young Nudy, Gumbo
The running meme of Young Nudy not being able to miss on songs named after foods doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. “Gumbo” was a concoction of tracks showing the “Peaches & Eggplants” rapper has boundless flows, making it near impossible to get bored of his music. He had his first big hit in “Peaches & Eggplants” on this album, with the help of fellow Atlanta rapper 21 Savage. The album was yet another impressive album to add to Nudy’s discography, and we can only hope that the food-inspired titles are here to stay.
Favorite Song: Passion Fruit
Lil Yachty, Let’s Start Here
Lots of people criticized Yachty for this album because it so far differed from the sound we have been accustomed to from him, but that is exactly why it is on the list. The psych-rock sound is experimental to the Michigan artist, and he floats on each song layering different harmonies together to create a really exciting project. Yachty said in an interview for this album that his goal is he,
“…wanted to be taken seriously as an artist, not just some SoundCloud rapper or some mumble rapper.”
After this album he caught everyone’s attention and made his fans excited for what sounds he’ll use next.
Favorite Song: the BLACK seminole.
Glaive, I care so much that I don’t care at all
Speaking of hyper-pop Glaive is another budding artist that gave us a great project this year. This album was a letter to the youth and speaks on the 18 year olds’ experiences in todays’ society. Ranging from themes of heartbreak, to feeling lonely trying to find your purpose in the world. He truly did an amazing job of creating a project that kids his age can relate to and speaking for them.
Favorite Song: the prom
Peso Pluma, Genisis
Peso Pluma absolutely destroyed 2023 and became one of the most famous artists in the world. After dropping chart-topping singles and features at the beginning of the year, when he finally decided to release this album it had quite the debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and even received a Grammy Nomination. As if that wasn’t enough he had the largest streaming week for a Regional Mexican Album totaling 101.8 million streams and beating Eslabon Armando’s previous record of 63.51 million. The 24-year-old Mexican artist stays true to himself & his roots, and has taken corridos tumbados to a new level. Finding his niche and developing a distinct sound that sets him apart from fellow collaborators and peers such as Nathanael Cano and Junior H (who are both killing it in their own right as well). Peso Pluma has put the world on notice he’s here to stay and we can’t wait to see what he has in store for the new year.
Favorite Song: Rubicon
Pi’erre Bourne, Grails
Artists are often hesitant to release music that was previously leaked or been teased for years (much to fans’ dismay), but Pi’erre delivered 8 songs his persistent supporters have been asking for. His generational influence on production is enough to make any song a hit, but his vocals are sure to humble doubters that fail to recognize his talent as a rapper. The project is surely enough to tie over fans until his next drop, “Made in Paris”, which should be coming out in the spring of 2024.
Favorite Song: Lessons
Ken Carson, A Great Chaos
If you haven’t heard of the name Ken Carson before this year, consider this year your introduction to him. Being a part of Playboi Carti’s enigmatic “Opium” label, any release of music by an artist is a gift to their loyal fans. This project embodies the evolution and aim of music, giving listeners tracks to simply enjoy and not place so much pressure on the meaning of his songs. His hit “Fighting My Demons” made its way to Tik Tok and grabbed the attention of many, leading to them giving his now highest-charting album a try. Ken has been at the top of the underground music scene for years, but this project has solidified his graduation into the mainstream world.
Favorite Song: Pots
Bad Bunny, Nadie sabe lo que va a pasar manana
Un Verano sin ti was a tough act to follow even for the most famous artist on the planet. But he didn’t disappoint his fans with this album that is a candidate for AOTY. In the project he goes back to his roots as the king of latin-trap dropping hits such as “Monaco”, “Mr. October”, and “Perro Negro”. As if he wasn’t satisfied with all the accomplishments, he further took over the year with performances on Jimmy Fallon and a hilarious monologue on SNL.
Favorite Song: MONACO
Trippie Redd, A Love Letter to You 5
Trippie has been dropping classic albums for years and this one was very highly anticipated for a while. After the original release date got pushed back, he finally dropped the 5th series of his Love Letter albums in August. Though people may claim it under performed sales wise, this was one of our favorite projects of the year because it completed the iconic Trippie Love Letter albums in the best way possible. We saw him continue where he left off on A Love Letter to You 4 with plenty of guitar-ridden melodies and honest lyrics that showed his vulnerabity and experiences. Something we absolutely should not take for granted anymore in todays age.
Favorite Song: Action
Destroy Lonely, If Looks Could Kill
The rollout for this album was a great cue of the quality of this album. The mini-movie was a great way of capturing who Destroy Lonely is and what the album is going to sound like, while also creating excitement for giving the album a full listen through. His dark, gloomy ego matched the vibes of the heavily reverbed songs, and he has created a sound that many try to replicate, but time has shown that his discography remains at the top of his class.
Favorite Song: which way
Don Toliver, Love Sick
If you weren’t convinced about Don’s star power prior to this, you should be now after hearing Love Sick. This is an album that really solidified his place as one of the most influential artists in the game right now. He had features from all over the place including Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Teezo Touchdown, James Blake, Kali Uchis, Future, Brent Faiyaz and more. There were so many different sounds on this album, from trap songs to more mellow R&B songs like ‘Company Pt.3’ or ‘Geronimo’ where he is crooning that iconic Don Toliver auto tuned voice over melodies that can put you in a trance.
Favorite Song: Do it Right
Ryan Trey, Streets Said You Miss Me
This is one that people may have missed, but undisputedly should be placed on the list. Ryan Trey at 24 years old is increasingly becoming a hot name amongst not only hip-hop, but R&B as well. Earlier this year he hopped on a Jordan Ward song titled “White Crocs” that further introduced him to the masses, and finished the year in November with a bang dropped this gem. What we like is the album really shows his versatility as an artist with features from names such as Mariah the Scientist, Vory, and Chase Shakur. Not one song felt forced and we were able to enjoy almost three different genres all in the same album with songs like ’30 Floors Up’, ‘NOBODY’, and ‘AIN’T EVEN FRIENDS’.
PinkPantheress, Heaven knows
After releasing possibly the biggest song of 2023 with “Boy’s a liar, Pt. 2” with Ice Spice, the U.K’s newest prodigy blessed the music world with “Heaven knows”. One of the most effective ways to succeed as an artist is to be different, and she helped herself to the available niche in the music world with her naturally soothing and angelic voice. Her flow is just another one of her talents, and she has even attracted the eyes of one of 2023’s hottest producers BNYX on her song “Bury me” (featuring Kelela). 2024 is already looking to be an exciting one for the English singer, selling out tickets for her tour in both the UK and the US.
Favorite Song: Blue
Favorite Song: COVER GIRLS (feat. Vory)
Zinadelphia, Lucky
We’re proud of this one right here. Philly’s own has a star in the making and 2023 has been a year of extreme growth for Zina. Not only did she travel across the country this year performing in cities such as NY and LA, but she really has dropped some amazing music. Her new wave neo-soul sound is a breath of fresh air in an industry that can easily become oversaturated. On this project she released songs such as Love Language and Cosmos which have massed millions of streams across Spotify and Apple Music. Though she does not have lots of music out, she sounds like she’s been making this high-caliber stuff for decades and is way beyond her years. If you haven’t absolutely check out this project and tune in before you start seeing her name EVERYWHERE.
Favorite Song: Cosmos
Omar Apollo, Live For Me EP
We got invited to see Omar Apollo on tour this year for his performance at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia where he actually performed the songs on this project for the first time. Needless to say it was amazing, and arguably the best show we’ve seen in 2023. A completely underappreciated album, this album had so many emotions built into it that told a story of the vulnerable spots in his life. Omar got extremely real with his fans and sung these angelic harmonies that echoed of love, pain, and joy. If you haven’t checked it out we recommend starting with ‘Live For Me’ and then ‘Angel’ to get you hooked.
Favorite Song: Angel
Dominic Fike, Sunburn
Dominic Fike is one of those artists that we always wish we had more music from, but when he drops it is always special. We held our breath hoping that this we be another classic and needless to say he pulled through once again. Sunburn was a reflection of his childhood and explored themes of conflict, romance, and dark times. Centered mainly around acoustic riffs that Fike has become known for, each song on this album is still so unique and the emotion can be felt on every track. We can go from songs like Dancing in the Courthouse that are faster and more up tempo to the soft peaceful 4X4 at the end of the album that is a beautiful lullaby to his childhood self.
Favorite Song: Frisky
Lil Uzi Vert, The Pink Tape
The Pink Tape was first teased by Uzi years ago at Rolling Loud Miami and fans finally got what they wanted when he dropped the project in June. This album was a breath of fresh air from the Philly-native and felt like we were getting back the old Uzi we were longing for. Per usual, he brings the energy on every song and gives us hit after hit with songs like ‘Just Wanna Rock’, ‘Pluto to Mars’, ‘Mama I’m Sorry’, and ‘All Alone’. Some other outlets have complained that the album is messy and all-over-the-place, but we believe there is beauty in the madness. While we agree at times it can seem like a lot, this is part of the genius of an artist like Uzi because he keeps us on our toes and gives us a wide-variety of sounds to choose from within his albums.
Favorite Song: Pluto to Mars
Midwxst, E3
Midwxst is leading the new generation of hyper-pop artists making incredible sounds that are new to our ears. E3 dropped in September and felt like a continuation of his 2022’s Better Luck Next Time album that explored that digicore-rap scene. Midwxst is not an artist that you would call to write strictly for a hook, but instead who you’d call for an honest, unfiltered truth. While he is always exploring new sounds, he can always be counted on to keep the same emo-rap feel that he has always had give listeners something important to relate to. Tracks like Lost and Pretty Girls on the album explore themes of two of the biggest obstacles that kids these days go through, and gives listeners an artist and project who speaks for them.
Favorite Song: Heartache Blues
K Suave, Midnight in Malibu
Over the years, I’ve grown to be a consistent listener of K Suave, and fortunately, I can’t think of a single project that disappointed me. Consistency is one of his many strengths, and “Midnight in Malibu” exceeded my expectations and has turned into one of my favorite albums this year. His smooth vocals and ambient production are hard to get tired of, providing good music for any kind of mood. Consistency is key they say, and Suave has found the secret to it.
Favorite Song: Falling Down
Jordan Ward, Foward
One of our guys described listening to this album as one of those that he can listen to and instantly be put in a good mood, and that is exactly why this album is on here. It is extremely different from any of the other albums on this list and explores new creative sounds not only production wise, but in his voice. When you hear Jordan Ward you know exactly who it is. We also really appreciated his work with some young talent in artists like Joony and Ryan Trey.
Favorite Song: IDC (with Joony)
SZA, SOS
SZA did her thing on this album and gave us another classic. As if it wasn’t enough that the album became platinum two months after its release, SOS also received nine Grammy nominations for this album and took home 3 BET Awards including Album of the Year. The project is full of amazing R&B masterpieces and she cemented her place ini the AOTY conversation with songs that have been on everybody’s Spotify wrapped like Snooze and Kill Bill. Her features from artists from Don Toliver and Travis Scott seem almost insignificant on this album as this was all the queen herself doing her thing.
Favorite Song: Used (feat. Don Toliver)
Lucki, s*x m*ney dr*gs
Lucki had himself a year, bursting into the mainstream scene and grabbing the attention of many, including Drake who gave him a cosign. Consisting of 15 songs, the Chicago native’s intoxicating flows were on full display, and he created an impressive string of hits. His magnetic presence and distinctive style have not only solidified his place in the hip-hop landscape but also earned him a growing fan base.
Favorite Song: No Bap
Izaya Tiji, Alexandria
Izaya Tiji returned this year with a 28 song project this year, much to his fans’ surprise. His hectic yet effortless style of music was on display throughout the album, and he really isn’t like any other artist you hear on the radio. Memorable lyrics are mixed throughout this album, and the hazy plugg beats on “Alexandria” couldn’t have been replicated by another artist.
Favorite Song: Face Shot
Alone at Prom, Tory Lanez
The first time you listened to original version of this album it was nostalgic even though you’ve never heard it before and that’s when you knew it was special. Two years after its drop Tory came back and gave us 10 more songs that created the same feeling. This album is the epitome of what you should be listening to driving in your car late at night and will have you belting out choruses and longing for the 80s.
Favorite Song: Poison Ivy
Hero’s and Villains, Metro Boomin
Metro had a huge year in 2023 and many are considering him the best producer out there right now. It’s pretty hard to argue with that for a guy who dropped a platinum album full of artists such as Chris Brown, Future, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, A$AP Rocky, John Legend, and more. The album gave us viral songs such as Superhero, Creepin’, and Too Many Nights, but also was full of hidden gems with artists on songs like Around Me with Don Toliver.
Favorite Song: Around Me (feat. Don Toliver)
Central Cee & Dave, Split Decision
Though the project was only four songs Cee and Dave dropped something special and highly influential in Split Decision. UK rap has been around for some time now in the States, but this EP did numbers with the likes of the songs ‘Sprinter’ and ‘UK Rap’. Sprinter really gained global attention and felt like a wake-up call to many people who were overlooking the music coming from across the pond. With catchy hooks and well thought out wordplay this project undeniably has a spot on the list.
Favorite Song: Sprinter
Homixide Gang, Snot or Not
“Snot or Not” was a nice addition to Homixide Gang’s impressive catalog despite their recent claim to fame. The Atlanta duo is often overlooked by their Opium labelmates Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that they can create consistently good music. Pick any song off of this album to be played at a concert, and they all will provide the energy without a doubt.
Favorite Song: Uzi Work
Cochise, NO ONE’S NICE TO ME
Enough can’t be said about Cochise’s growth as an artist. I remember the days of him teasing music, and his smaller, but devoted fanbase would do anything to receive the songs they heard snippets of. His growth since then has been nothing short of remarkable, and in his 7 song project, Cochise’s endless flows and vocal ranges leave no doubts that he has the potential to become a star.
Favorite Song: KANEKI
Karol G, Manana Sera Bonito
Karol G was in our conversation for AOTY and clearly the world’s as well as she was crowned with ATOY and Best Urban Music Album at the Latin Grammy Awards. Her fourth album was flawless and a series of extremely well put together songs (shoutout to Ovy on the Drums) that embodied her life at the time as she was going through a breakup. The first song on the album ‘Mientras Me Curo Del Cora’ sets the stage for the rest of the album as a feel-good track, and from there we got gems like ‘Gucci Los, ‘TQG’ with Shakira, ‘TUS GAFITAS’, and ‘Pero Tú’. Karol G has always been putting out amazing music, but she dropped this one which we can confidently say has ZERO skips, and should be a staple in everyone’s library for years to come.
Favorite Song: TUS GAFITAS
Autumn!, Midnight Club
The producer-originated rapper flaunted his versatility in his latest album, “Midnight Club” as he swapped out his usual sound with one rooted in acoustic drum samples. The songs were just as pleasing to the ear as the album art was to the eye, and it overall combined to make a great album. From the unique production to his clever wordplay, Autumn! continued to prove why he is becoming a household name in rap nowadays.
Favorite Song: Chanelly & Birkin!
Tana, Gaultier
Tana wanted people to forget the ‘baby’ in his name and we think he made us all forget how young he is when he dropped this album. Tana is one of those emerging artists who is finally beginning to be seen by the world and this felt like a real coming out project. He kept his roots with the auto tune flow, giving us many high-energy songs, but he also tapped into a side that we haven’t seen too often and gave us slower songs that show his vocal range such as ‘hope you feel the same’ which samples lyrics from the late Xxxtentacion’s song ‘Changes’.
Favorite Song: hope you feel the same
D. Savage, Mafia Musik
D. Savage has been under the radar to a lot of rap fans, but he has blossomed to a complete artist that is capable of making a song you just can’t get out of your head. The album is comprised of 13 featureless songs, and he has a knack for choosing beats that are almost destined to have his voice recorded on top of them. The album takes you through all different emotions while never ceasing to make you feel as if you are floating. “Mafia Musik” was his return to the rap game after a two-year break from releasing an album, and since this drop, he has been a memorable run of singles that are ultimately leading up to his next album, “We Love D. Savage”.
Favorite Song: Nothin 2 Sumthin
d4vd, Petals to Thorns
If you’re a casual looking at this last you might not know who this is, but rest assured you have heard him all over Tiktok with his hit song ‘Here with me’. D4vd really broke onto the scene in 2023 with this project and was given the chance to tap into an audience that goes really well with his music after touring with SZA on her SOS tour and opening up her shows. As an artist he is in the Pop/R&B Sphere and has one of the most beautiful voices you will hear across the landscape right now. The Petals to Thorns album is a series of haunting melancholic tracks that are the dark and light themes of love.
Favorite Song: Here with me
Kali Uchis, Red Moon in Venus
Kali Uchis is no stranger to the spotlight and has spent the last decade becoming one of the biggest artists on the planet. This album was an embodiment of her psychedelic spirit and was an amazing testament to her ability to captivate her fanbase with her nostalgic R&B melodies. What made this album so perfect was the story it told and it is one of those that has to be listened to from top to bottom in order to get the full experience. Red Moon in Venus takes the listener on a journey through all the emotions of love and romance, and leaves them speechless by the time you get to the last track on the album ‘Happy Now’.
Favorite Song: Moonlight
Summrs, What We Didn’t Have
With the release of his EP “What We Have” in 2021, Summrs has had fans desparate for the second installment of this series for years to come. Nearing the end of 2023, he had already released two solid projects, each of which received mixed reviews by fans due to their unconventional sound. However, I think all fans would agree that “What We Didn’t Have” was a masterpiece that was long overdue. The songs felt like something completely new, yet familiar at the same time. One with no previous knowledge of Summrs’ music might think the melodies were created by Mozart himself, as Summrs’ frequent producers XanGang and Goyxrd came together to compose beautiful instrumentals that compliment Summrs’ emotion filled vocals.
Favorite Song: Rehab
TyFontaine, 264
It’s not often you find one of those artists who can rap on nearly any type of beat and still sound good. D.C. has a star in the making with TyFontaine and his latest album “264” is just a glimpse of what he is capable of. The album has a few trap songs, including “Dos” with Summrs, Joony (both of which are featured on this list), and TTM Dawg, but what really stood out was his ability to really sing as a melodic R&B artist. I knew he was versatile, but after listening to “264”, I can strongly say that TyFontaine is the real deal.
Favorite Song: 264