But across the board, from intimately emotional pop ( Lorde, Taylor Swift) to moody, atmospheric groups (LCD Soundsystem and The xx) from individuals standing for something beyond just their sounds (Kesha, Perfume Genius, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar) to fresh faces stealing the spotlight ( Khalid, SZA), it was easy to find something to love.
Youth in particular reigned supreme of our top ten albums of the year, eight are from artists who are 30 years old or younger, many on just their first or second bodies of work. 2017 may in future be seen as the year that marked a major shift from the primacy of pop to the ascent of the new R&B and hip-hop superstars.
