The 10 best albums of 2021
by Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times
Dec 16, 2021
2 minutes
As the world slowly reopened after — well, amid — the pandemic, musicians naturally moved beyond themselves this year to ponder ideas of identity and community.
The best found deep connections between the private and the universal — not to mention among the eras and styles that digital streaming continues to bring closer together.
1. Jazmine Sullivan, "Heaux Tales"
Years after leaving fans wondering whether with an album as much about listening as about singing: A moving and witty blend of songs and spoken testimonials from Sullivan's friends and family, "Heaux Tales" — like Beyoncé's "Lemonade" — uses personal narratives to illuminate a larger story about Black women's lives.
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