2023 Album Roundup: January

January 2023 didn't suffer from the usual slow post-holiday slump. We saw SoundCloud rap pioneers making psychedelic rock, dancehall stars testing drill cadences, and SZA settling comfortably atop the Billboard charts. Here is what led the charge.

SZA - SOS

Landing five years after Ctrl, SZA's 23-track album SOS spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 by refusing to stick to standard contemporary R&B. She veers into acoustic grunge on "F2F," boom-bap on "Smoking on my Ex Pack," and 90s alt-rock without breaking character.

Monster singles like "Kill Bill" and "Snooze" dominated radio all year, but the album's real pull is SZA's willingness to sound petty, insecure, and conflicted. She doesn't sand down her flaws, making the lengthy record feel human and messy.

Popcaan - Great Is He

Popcaan returned under Drake's OVO Sound imprint with Great Is He, balancing his St. Thomas dancehall roots with polished international crossovers. Guest verses from Drake, Burna Boy, Chronic Law, and Toni-Ann Singh show his global reach.

While a few tracks settle into safe mid-tempo territory, his ear for melody carries highlights like "Next To Me" and the title cut, confirming his status as one of Jamaica's most dependable hitmakers.

Kota the Friend - Lyrics to Go, Vol. 4

Brooklyn independent rapper Kota the Friend released the fourth volume of his Lyrics to Go series, keeping the entire project under 20 minutes across ten tracks. With no guest features and minimal production, the spotlight stays entirely on his words.

Kota uses the brief run to rap about peace of mind, family stability, and independence from the music industry machine. It's clean, unpretentious hip-hop that doesn't waste a single bar.

Lil Yachty - Let's Start Here

Nobody had Lil Yachty releasing a psychedelic rock album on their 2023 bingo card. Ditching trap drums and Auto-Tune bars entirely, Yachty assembled musicians and producers like Mac DeMarco and Patrick Wimberly to build a full-fledged homage to 1970s prog-rock.

Taking cues from Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, tracks like "the BLACK seminole." and "drive ME crazy!" feature screeching guitars and lush backing harmonies. It was an audacious risk that paid off, resetting expectations for what he can pull off.

Byron Messia - No Love

Kittitian-born artist Byron Messia introduced his blend of dancehall and drill with No Love. The standout cut "Talibans" became an international summer anthem, eventually landing a remix from Burna Boy.

Messia balances grim street reflections with sweet acoustic melodies and a smooth, singsong cadence. While the project leans on familiar formulas in spots, it proved his voice could cross international borders effortlessly.