The Best Albums of 2023

Between Taylor Swift deciding that yes, actually, she'd like to be the biggest pop star in the world again, Harry Styles finally making an album that matches up to the quality of his trousers, Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama doing it for the hyperpop gang, Charlotte Adigery's funk and the return of Kendrick, 2022 was a good year for albums.

Next year doesn't look too shabby either. Some big hitters are due to start flexing their muscles again. Dua Lipa's gigantic world tour wraps up at the end of December, so she'll be back in the studio soonish, and Ed Sheeran's been suspiciously quiet for a while now. Might be that he's gearing up for another album; might be that he's stuck in some more planning disputes over that pub he built on his massive Suffolk estate. Plus, maybe there'll be a new Blur album ahead of their Wembley reunion gigs.

But who else is on the slate for the best albums of 2023?

Biig Piig – Bubblegum (January)

So hot she's now started popping up in the roster of artists who get their tunes used on goal montages on the BBC, Jessica Smyth – AKA Biig Piig – has started harnessing her airy vocals and feel for a groove into radio-ready singles. The one-two of 'This is What They Meant' and 'Kerosene' is a very strong hint we're onto something very special here.

Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy (February)

Scottish soul-electronica dons Young Fathers are back with their first record since 2018, and the lead single 'Geronimo', which arrived in the summer, was a particularly atmospheric, hymnal introduction to it. "You let the demons out and deal with it," Kayus Bankole has said about the new material. "Make sense of it after."

Gorillaz – Cracker Island (February)

Busy year for young Damon Albarn, as we've noted, what with getting the old band back together for some mega-gigs and all that, but we're going to stick our necks out and say that the run of album/mixtape/whatevers Gorillaz have put together over the last three or four years is probably their best run ever. Stevie Nicks, Thundercat, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown are all on hand to help out.

Paramore – This is Why (February)

A return to a more crunching, guitar-driven, frenziedly drummed sound has been trailed with the single of the same name, which feels like the first single for yonks which has really clicked for Paramore. 'This is Why' is a banger, absolutely no two ways about it.

Rihanna (title and release TBA)

The unexpected drop of a new, winsome ballad for the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever after absolutely ages away was extremely exciting. The album that's been dubbed R9 has been in the works for at least four years, during which time Rihanna's split her time between becoming a commercial juggernaut and raising her son. But with the Super Bowl half-time show on the horizon, more new music has to be imminent.

Arlo Parks (title and release TBA)

More of a punt than most of the names here given that Parks is on a hiatus having cancelled a run of US gigs to protect her mental health, but 'Softly' landed back in February and it's absolutely lovely, so fingers crossed.

Lewis Capaldi – Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent (TBA)

Bit of an odd one, Lewis Capaldi, isn't he? Brilliant pop star, no doubt about that. Funny guy, deeply likeable, totally aware of the inherent silliness of the whole thing. And yet he makes music which couldn't be any less divorced from his persona. Which bit does he mean? 'Forget Me' added a plodding groove to his signature big vox, though judging by the new Ed Sheeran co-written single 'Pointless' it sounds like he's observed that it ain't broke, and he's not about to try to fix it.

Dua Lipa (title and release TBA)

We know that the newly Albanian citizenship-toting disco queen is "writing again and working on new music" according to a new chat she had with Vogue, but quite what her assertion that she's done a lot of "growing up" will mean for her tunes is as yet entirely uncertain.