{"id":69466,"date":"2023-12-08T13:15:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T13:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotcelebon.com\/?p=69466"},"modified":"2023-12-08T13:15:54","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T13:15:54","slug":"the-best-music-projects-of-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotcelebon.com\/entertainment\/the-best-music-projects-of-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Music Projects of 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
2023 was a surprising year in music, to say the least. It played out with long-awaited releases and even the appearances of artists who many thought would never drop.<\/p>\n
At the time of writing, many of us are still reeling from Andr\u00e9 3000’s\u00a0surprise debut album\u00a0New Blue Sun\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 which, of course, shocked listeners, not only because of the fact that 3 Stacks had actually released a full-length effort, but also because of the record’s contents. If anything though, this is a teachable moment for music fans everywhere that growth can be present in different ways. Travis Scott’s UTOPIA,\u00a0<\/em>Teezo Touchdown’s\u00a0How Do You Sleep At Night? <\/em>and Doja Cat’s\u00a0Scarlet\u00a0<\/em>are all testaments to the respective artists’ growth, and find them in powerful positions that will only push them deeper into their artistry.<\/p>\n As the Hypebeast roundup arrives early in the month of December, it would be amiss not to mention the records that are due to come out later in the month. This includes Nicki Minaj’s highly-anticipated\u00a0Pink Friday 2,\u00a0<\/em>which will undoubtedly solidify her legacy and impact even more.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Epic Records<\/span><\/p>\n For his first album in 17 years, the bar was already high and yet, Andr\u00e9 3000 was nonetheless able to surprise his listeners. Fans never expected that the rapper, who is best known as one-half of the hip-hop duo OutKast, would put out a project consisting entirely of instrumental tracks. When he began teasing New Blue Sun<\/em>, Andr\u00e9 jokingly warned fans that it contained \u201cno bars.\u201d Instead, he performs a variety of different flutes, including the contrabass and wind controller, for 87 minutes. Carlos Ni\u00f1o executive produced the project alongside Andr\u00e9, and a variety of musicians were brought in to contribute across eight meditative, New Age tracks.<\/p>\n Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Rimas Entertainment Llc<\/span><\/p>\n In Bad Bunny\u2019s nadie sabe lo que va a pasar ma\u00f1ana (Nobody Knows What Will Happen Tomorrow)<\/em>, he furthers his braggadocious cause. His past projects have heard him talk about the problems that plague his beautiful Puerto Rico, but this time around, he goes in with a funny and raunchy angle with a sonically explorative backdrop. With his extensive list of achievements in 2023 alone (the international icon for WWE 2K23<\/em> and breaking Spotify records), Benito wants everyone to know that he is free of any pressure or expectations placed upon him. If the murmur is true and nadie sabe lo que va a pasar ma\u00f1ana<\/em> turns out to be his last album in a while, at least fans can keep on dancing until the next one comes.<\/p>\n Listen<\/strong>: Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Kemosabe Records\/Rca Records<\/span><\/p>\n Doja Cat may have burst onto the scene as an internet-inspired hyperpop act, seemingly engineered for TikTok virality, but on Scarlet<\/em>, she\u2019s evolved and matured, returning with a more nuanced, layered sound \u2014 though she\u2019s still giving fans the Doja they know and love. For her fourth studio album and the follow-up to 2012\u2019s Planet Her<\/em>, the singer looked to R&B and hip-hop for inspiration, fusing elements of the styles with contemporary pop music. Beyond mere sound, Doja particularly shines in her developed lyricism. The bars are harder, wittier and, counter to critics who may try to put her in a box, Doja proves once again she can truly deliver hard-hitting raps, even while dabbling in other genres.<\/p>\n Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Geffen Records<\/span><\/p>\n Kali Uchis\u2019 dissection of love results in a celestial exploration on Red Moon in Venus<\/em>. Aided by guest features from Omar Apollo, Don Toliver and Summer Walker and lush production from the likes of Yussef Dayes, P2J, WondaGurl, Sounwave and Cashmere Cat, the record puts Uchis\u2019 self-awareness and femininity on the forefront. While she can touch on the wounds caused by another party, she also looks inward in order to heal her inner child. Red Moon in Venus<\/em> may be a project about love, but it doesn\u2019t come across as a selection of tracks fuelled by bitterness and rage \u2014 it\u2019s cohesive, therapeutic and inspiring, and takes on a refreshingly new angle on \u201clove.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Olivia Rodrigo\/Geffen Records<\/span><\/p>\n Let Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s GUTS<\/em> take you back to the chaos of your early 20s. Although her life experiences as a young star are drastically different than the average 20-something, she still went through the grueling phase of transitioning into adulthood. She bares her guts across the 12-track album and doesn\u2019t let her superstardom cover up the intimate details she chooses to share with listeners. In fact, she humors us. GUTS<\/em> is, at its very core, a close look at the thought process of how young adults handle similar problems the older generation faced \u2014 except now, they have the added pressure of social media and, in Rodrigo\u2019s case, the tricky path of fame. The record will remind you of how grateful you are to be past that time in your life, but it can also make you miss the mess of it all. She summarizes the metamorphosis with a lyric in \u201cBad Idea Right?\u201d \u2014 \u201dF*ck it, it\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Ninja Tune<\/span><\/p>\n Irish singer R\u00f3is\u00edn Murphy\u2019s Hit Parade<\/em> was a true labor of love, written and recorded over the course of several years. After emerging as one-half of the pop duo Moloko in the 1990s, Murphy has spent the past few decades fine-tuning her solo work, an eclectic style of dance music, often punctuated by jazz instruments. Though Murphy has amassed a cult following of her own, the LP\u2019s production and instrumentals were bolstered by the work of some of the younger generation\u2019s tastemakers, namely DJ Koze and Laufey. True to its title, Hit Parade<\/em> was nothing short of a hit, particularly on the seven-minute \u201cYou Knew.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Slayyyter\/Fader Label<\/span><\/p>\n Slayyyter holds a lens up to the ecstasy and excess of Hollywood on her sophomore album, the satirical STARFUCKER<\/em>. Taking notes from the electropop sound that dominated 1980s music and advancing the more typical pop song introduced on her debut Troubled Paradise<\/em>, the singer refreshes the genre for a new generation of listeners who have grown up at a time when the influence of celebrity culture and social media is seemingly inescapable. STARFUCKER<\/em> is a no-skips collection of songs, ranging from the pre-game hype tracks to harder, techno club bangers.<\/p>\n Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Not Fit For Society\/Rca Records<\/span><\/p>\n After introducing himself on UTOPIA<\/em> (\u201cModern Jam\u201d) \u2014 and later on as part of Drake\u2019s For All The Dogs<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Teezo Touchdown proved he\u2019s a force to be reckoned with on his debut album How Do You Sleep At Night?<\/em>\u00a0The genre-defying, boundary-blurring, nail-headed musician got the cosign from Drake before the album dropped (calling it \u201csome of the best music ever) and enlisted an intentional lineup of featured artists who would elevate the experimental album: Janelle Mon\u00e1e, Foush\u00e9e and Isaiah Rusk. With his artistic versatility at the forefront, How Do You Sleep At Night?<\/em> sees the Texas rapper flex his melodic muscles, infusing punk guitar runs, upbeat indie melodies and even electronic production throughout the LP. Teezo Touchdown not only exists in the interim between rap and rock, but he continues to define what this interim even is \u2013 How Do You Sleep At Night?<\/em> is a great example.<\/p>\n Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Cactus Jack Records<\/span><\/p>\n Travis Scott\u2019s UTOPIA<\/em> took the world by storm months (actually years) before it even dropped, with Scott championing an immersive UTOPIA<\/em> universe for the release rollout. When the album \u2013 19 songs and a stacked lineup of features \u2013 finally landed at the end of July, the wait proved worth it. With collaborators including Beyonc\u00e9, Drake, 21 Savage, Playboi Carti, Young Thug, Westside Gunn, Bad Bunny, SZA, Kid Cudi, Future, James Blake, The Weeknd, Bon Iver, Daft Punk\u2019s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Yung Lean, Swae Lee, Teezo Touchdown, Rob49 and even Dave Chapelle, La Flame brought an auditory utopia down to earth. With big shoes to fill \u2013 Scott\u2019s first album since 2018\u2019s ASTROWORLD<\/em> \u2013 and all eyes on him \u2013 also his first solo release since 2021\u2019s Astroworld tragedy \u2013 the rapper had to deliver on his fourth studio album. Equipped with unparalleled, synth-heavy production and a handful of Kanye West-inspired beats, UTOPIA<\/em> finds Scott in a new sonic sphere \u2013 and we think it suits him.<\/p>\n Listen:\u00a0<\/strong>Spotify | Apple Music<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Emi Australia\/Universal Music Australia<\/span><\/p>\n Troye Sivan\u2019s third album Something To Give Each Other<\/em> not only garnered great critical acclaim but also cemented the Australian musician as Gen-Z\u2019s favorite dreamy, dancing pop persona. Sivan reentered the scene with \u201cRush,\u201d kicking off the album release with a bang; the upbeat cut sees Sivan front a captivatingly choreographed music video, almost as if he\u2019s telling us \u201cI\u2019m back.\u201d The album\u2019s second single \u201cGot Me Started\u201d and third single \u201cOne Of Your Girls\u201d continued the momentum and showcased different sides of Sivan\u2019s electropop evolution. 10 tracks long and complete with just one collaboration \u2013 with Spanish singer and guitarist Guitarricadelafuente \u2013 Something To Give Each Other<\/em> sees Sivan expand his artistry by leaps and bounds in comparison to his Blue Neighborhood debut, while also asserting more confidence and certainty than he did on 2018\u2019s Bloom<\/em>.<\/p>\nAndr\u00e9 3000 –\u00a0New Blue Sun<\/em><\/h2>\n
Bad Bunny – nadie sabe lo que va a pasar ma\u00f1ana<\/em><\/h2>\n
Doja Cat –\u00a0Scarlet<\/em><\/h2>\n
Kali Uchis – Red Moon in Venus<\/em><\/h2>\n
Olivia Rodrigo –\u00a0GUTS<\/em><\/h2>\n
R\u00f3is\u00edn Murphy – Hit Parade<\/em><\/h2>\n
Slayyyter –\u00a0STARFUCKER<\/em><\/h2>\n
Teezo Touchdown – How Do You Sleep At Night<\/em>?<\/em><\/h2>\n
Travis Scott –\u00a0UTOPIA<\/em><\/h2>\n
Troye Sivan –\u00a0Something To Give Each Other<\/em><\/h2>\n