Variety chose the best albums of the year so far

American entertainment magazine Variety your size at the end of June, his opinion on the best albums of the year so far. There are pop greats on the list Olivia from Rodrigo Charli XCX:n and to Paul McCartney.

Variety’s selections emphasize well-known and commercially established artists, if you compare, for example, the Guardian to previous ones selections from the best albums of the current year.

Brittilehti’s list included up-and-coming artists with a smaller audience, such as Chalk, who combines post-punk and electronic music from Northern Ireland, and Cloud, who makes hazy and experimental rap Lerado Khalil.

At the beginning of the year social media was filled with flashes of the recent past and #2016 captions. In music, too, nostalgia has been sought for comfort and clarity for a long time.

Two country albums made it to Variety’s list, by Ella Langley Dandelion and Kacey Musgravesin Middle of Nowhere, with traditions and own roots.

In the album selections, it is also striking that only one clear rap album has entered the list, The dragon Maid of Honour, when in 2016, three rap and hip-hop albums made it to the top ten albums chosen by Variety.

Here five selections from the selected 24 albums:

Olivia Rodrigo, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love

The US star’s pop/rock album, which came out in June, has received a lukewarm reception. Critic of Helsingin Sanomat Aleksi Kinnunen called the record “charming”:

“Clearly longer than Rodrigo’s previous albums You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love is divided in the nostalgic spirit of the vinyl era into thematic a and b sides. The former celebrates love, the latter creeps in sadness.”

Mythical, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me

The latest album by singer-songwriter Mitski, aka Mitsuki Miyawaki, balances between stripped-down indie rock and an orchestral sound expanded with string arrangements.

Helsingin Sanomat Sara Harju wrote in March, that the album “haunts in a good way”:

“Mitski has never dabbled in very cheerful songs, but the latest, eighth album has a particularly dark tone. It is a beautiful and uniform whole, which feels a bit raw to be released in the spring: the lyrics play with the idea of ​​disappearance and talk a lot about the afterlife.

The album is familiar Mitski in its melancholy. It exudes a sad girl aesthetic Lana Del Reyn as a more alternative relative.”

Paul McCartney, The Boys of Dungeon Lane

After making music for seven decades, McCartney’s latest release has been seen as nostalgic and rockier than his most recent predecessors.

“Macca’s handprint is frankly amusingly recognizable all over the record. Lightly arranged Life Can Be Hard could be Sgt. With Pepper right She’s Leaving Homen next to.” –Arttu Seppänen, Helsingin Sanomat.

Raye, This Album May Contain Hope

Ambitious, grandiose. Moves between flashy pop spectacle and personal confession. This is how it has been described to perform under the stage name Raye Rachel Agatha Keenin another studio album.

“The horns and strings fill the space left by the drums, and the album feels massive at its best, despite its mundane subtitles – or precisely because of the contrast it brings. Struggling with the failed romance of the lyrics starts to get boring after a while.” –Joonas Lahtinen, Helsingin Sanomat

Kacey Musgraves, Middle of Nowhere

Kacey Musgraves, who lived in Texas and Mexico, returns closer to her country roots with her new album:

“Musgraves draws from the solitude of the vast expanses of her growing region, but also rejoices in the Tex-Mex influences, which are heard even more strongly in her music…. No one manages the smoldering atmosphere structure as well as Musgraves.” –Chris WillmanVariety.

The other albums that made the list are:

Absolutely, Paracosm

Ryan Beatty, Sweet Fortune

James Blake, Trying Times

Charli XCX, Wuthering Heights

Drake, Maid of Honour

Hilary Duff, Luck… or Something

Dry Cleaning, Secret Love

Brent Faiyaz, Icon

Geese, Live at Coachella 2026

Danny L. Harle, Cerulean

Grace Ives, Girlfriend

Come on, Come down

Ella Langley, Dandelion

Tift Merritt, Sugar

Kim Petras, Detour

Charlie Puth, Whatever’s Clever!

Rai Nao, Marcria

Slayyyter, Wor$t Girl in America

Underscores, U