It's finally that time of year guys! And what an incredible year it's been - especially in the world of pop music. There have been more album releases this year than I've ever seen before. This list was honestly the hardest thing I've had to do in a long time. Choosing between a wide range of incredible artists and their projects was a fun, but difficult task. Keep in mind that this is just my personal take, however, I based my ranking not just on personal interest, but the quality, the catchiness, the relatability, the emotion, the shock factor, and whether or not there were any skippable tracks (and how many). If you're a pop music lover, I've curated a list of 10 albums I have no doubt you'll love - and then some! At the bottom you'll find some honorable mentions as well as a list of even MORE album suggestions for you to explore. Lets get started!
*ANNOUNCEMENT*
Our "Top Pop Songs of 2023" Playlist is out now!
It's all your favorite songs released this year, all in one place.
Listen below and save it to your library!
10. Higher Than Heaven (Deluxe) - Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding is the queen of top-hit dance pop. Over the years, she's curated billions of streams with her infectious singles and collaborations with the top DJs and producers in the world. "Higher Than Heaven" is her fifth studio album and is full of dance pop bangers. Ellie Goulding makes what I like to call, feel good music. If you are feeling down and just need something to jam to or something to help you get all that emotional energy out, this is the perfect album for that. This particular project features more synthpop than any of Ellie's previous works. This style feels more like a female The Weeknd with it's nostalgic and upbeat synth vibes. It was such an enjoyable album that it had just made it to the No. 10 spot on my list.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Midnight Dreams
#2 - Cure For Love
#3 - Easy Lover (feat. Big Sean)
#4 - Let It Die
#5 - Like a Savior
9. Barbie The Album
The Barbie Movie was one of the biggest films to come out this year. It was accompanied by an tracklist of original songs written just for this movie, by some of the biggest artists in todays industry. Not only was it an incredible film that really resonated with a lot of people, but the music that was created for it also really hit home with Barbie movie fans. It was no shocker that they released the tracks in the form of "Barbie - The Album". There's a wide variety of genres within this album, as well as a wide variety of emotion and styles - but yet they all seem to fit together so perfectly. The fact that this album is unskippable and is just so enjoyable to many is why it's in the top 10 for me.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - What Was I Made For - Billie Eilish
#5 - Choose Your Fighter - Ava Max
8. Diamonds and Dancefloors - Ava Max
Ava Max absolutely blew me away with this album. I never dove into her discography before this album, but I knew a couple of her songs. I honestly wasn't expecting just how much I would end up loving it and put it on repeat. "Diamonds and Dancefloors" is pure dance pop that'll lift up your spirits and get you moving. The track list is just bop after bop after bop. Ava has an incredible voice that really fits well with her style. Her voice is like if Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande had a baby. Her instrumentation styles are also reminiscent of early Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa with some sprinkles of Daft Punk. If you love songs that focus on production and make you groove, this is the album for you.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Sleepwalker
#2 - Turn Off The Lights
#3 - Get Outta My Heart
#4 - Hold Up (Wait A Minute)
#5 - Cold As Ice
7. Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent - Lewis Capaldi
Even if you've never heard of Lewis Capaldi, you've definitely heard at least one of his songs before; probably "Before You Go" or "Someone You Loved", which neither of those are on this album. However, if you enjoyed those viral tracks, you'll love "Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent" even more. Lewis Capaldi has one of the best voices out of our entire generation of musicians. His talent is just beyond incredible, and he deserves a lot more love than he gets! This album features some signature piano ballads, as well as pop bops that'll get stuck in your head for days. The lyricism and the emotion that was put into this project deserves some praise as well. I guarantee at least one of these tracks will punch you in the heart or make you tear up.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Heavenly Kind of State of Mind
#2 - Pointless
#3 - Forget Me
#4 - Burning
#5 - How This Ends
6. Snow Angel (Deluxe) - Renee Rapp
Renee Rapp has made a name for herself in mainstream pop this year. Her second studio album "Snow Angel" really took the cake for one of the best albums to release in 2023. Renee has been on the music scene for quite some time and has performed on Broadway, (now starring in the upcoming Mean Girls Musical MOVIE as Regina George) - however, her face has become a recognizable one within the industry as of lately. She's known for being fearlessly herself, and that shows through her music as well. "Snow Angel" is an album full of bangers and is alt. pop at its finest. Not to mention Renee's vocals are so mesmerizing, and everyone who hears her can't get enough.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Talk Too Much
#2 - Snow Angel
#3 - Pretty Girls
#4 - Tummy Hurts
#5 - Willow
5. TRUSTFALL - P!NK
P!NK is an icon in the pop music world, and I don't think she plans on stopping anytime soon. "TRUSTFALL" is her 9th studio album and one of my personal favorites from her. Filled with uplifting messages and flawless production, this album is my go-to when I'm feeling down. There's songs to make you dance, to make you cry, to make you feel empowered, and so much more. There's not a single track on this album that P!NK didn't put her all into, and you can tell.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - TRUSTFALL
#2 - Never Not Gonna Dance Again
#3 - Turbulence
#4 - Hate Me
#5 - When I Get There
4. Good Riddance (Deluxe) - Gracie Abrams
Before listening to this album, I hadn't listened to Gracie Abrams much. While going through my list of albums that released this year, I found myself getting deeply into "Good Riddance". It suprised me that even over some of the biggest names in pop music right now, that this album was one of the best I've heard this year. I knew it deserved a high spot on this list. The songwriting is so beautifully done. Gracie has a really soft and delicate sound that is mesmerizing and unlike anyone else within mainstream music today. Her rawness within both her voice and within her writing makes for a relatable artist for young music lovers.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - I Know It Won't Work
#2 - 405
#3 - The Blue
#4 - Where Do We Go Now?
#5 - Amelie
3. Subtract (Deluxe) - Ed Sheeran
Grab your tissue boxes before listening to this album. When I first listened to "Subtract" by Ed Sheeran, it completely consumed me and it had my full attention. It's no secret that Ed Sheeran is one of the best songwriters of our time, but I never expected just how incredible this album was going to be. As the last mathmatic themed album in his series, "Subract" is a lot different than the others because it's completely focused on sadness and hardships. The theme of "Subtract" came from a really dark place within Ed's life. His pregnant wife was battling cancer, and he was going through legal troubles due to copyright claims. You're not gonna find a track like "Shape of You" or "Bad Habits" on this album; it's sonically more soft, folk/pop which makes sense when you find out it was in collaboration with the incredible Aaron Dessner.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Life Goes On
#2 - No Strings
#3 - Toughest
#4 - Curtains
#5 - The Hills of Aberfeldy
2. The Good Witch (Deluxe) - Maisie Peters
I was a fan of Maisie Peters before her sophmore album, "The Good Witch" released; but when it did release, I became one of her biggest fans. I listened to "The Good Witch" over 100 times since it came out and have never gotten tired of it. Focusing on tracks that call out boys on their crap and dealing with heartbreak, this album is perfect for all those sad girls out there. Mixing genres like punk, pop, rock and folk, Maisie has a diverse sound that gives each track it's own unique style. The songwriting is beyond genius, and it makes for a completely unskippable album. It's also probably one of the most underrated albums of the whole year and definitely deserves more attention. If you're a fan of artists like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Gracie Abrams, and Olivia Rodrigo, I can gauruntee that you'll love Maisie Peters as well.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - History of Man
#2 - Watch
#3 -There It Goes
#4 - Body Better
#5 - Want You Back
1. 1989 (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
It's probably no surprise to anyone that this is the #1 best album of the year. I hesitated a bit since it was a re-recording, but I have many valid reasons why I made the decision to make it the top album. Taylor Swift took songs we all know and love, and completely raised the bar. The sound quality of 1989 (TV) is the best I've heard in my entire life. Everything is so clear and detailed; it really is like listening to the album for the first time all over again. The production value is out of this world and I've yet to hear anything else like it. Not to mention, the vault tracks on this album are some of the best vault tracks I've heard so far out of the already released Taylor's Versions. This song is a pop bible; absolute perfection in every single way.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - New Romantics (Taylor's Version)
#2 - I Know Places (Taylor's Version)
#3 - Out Of The Woods (Taylor's Version)
#4 - Say Don't Go (From The Vault)
#5 - Is It Over Now? (From The Vault)
Honorable Mentions
These are some of the albums that *almost* made it onto my top 10 list.
Speak Now (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
I felt it was only fair to include one of the albums our queen, Taylor Swift came out with this year. Unfortunately, "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" didn't live up to the production quality that was in "1989 (Taylor's Version)" and it's technically a country album. However, it's still one of the best albums to come out this year.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - I Can See You (From The Vault)
#2 - Enchanted (Taylor's Version)
#3 - Long Live (Taylor's Version)
Something To Give Eachother - Troye Sivan
I was really sad when I couldn't include "Something To Give Eachother" by Troye Sivan in our top 10. It's an absolute iconic album, and one of the most unique. For me personally, there were a couple skippable tracks which ultimately determined my decision. However, it's an album that every pop lover should listen to.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Got Me Started
#2 - One Of Your Girls
#3 - Rush
Revamped - Demi Lovato
"Revamped" is an album that features re-recorded rock versions of classic Demi Lovato songs. Don't get me wrong, this album is so good and it really takes her sound to the next level. My only complaint is that it was to short! I'm hoping for a part 2 in the future.
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Heart Attack (Rock Version)
#2 - Neon Lights (Rock Version)
#3 - Don't Forget (Rock Version)
Paint My Bedroom Black - Holly Humberstone
Holly Humberstone is a small British artist who is going to break out into mainstream any minute now. She's very underrated and came out with one of the best albums this year; better than many household names. If you're a pop/rock and dark alt. pop fan, you'll love Holly and the "Paint My Bedroom Black" album!
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Into Your Room
#2 - Ghost Me
#3 - Paint My Bedroom Black
Endless Summer Vacation - Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus' "Endless Summer Vacation" album featured some of the best songs to come out this year, including her record-breaking single "Flowers". However, I felt myself skipping around and not being able to listening to the album as a whole on repeat like I could with other albums. It's still an incredible project that deserves recognition!
FAVORITE TRACKS
#1 - Used To Be Young
#2 - Jaded
#3 - Flowers
What do you think of our choices? Is there album you felt was better deserving? Follow us on our social links below and let us know. Make sure to keep scrolling for the rest of our album recommendations that didn't make it onto this list!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
More Album Recommendations
Think Later - Tate McRae
Alchemical Vol. 1 - Dove Cameron
Unreal, Unearth - Hozier
The Album - The Jonas Brothers
The Show - Niall Horan
Gloria - Sam Smith
PORTALS - Melanie Martinez
Chemistry - Kelly Clarkson
Silence Between Songs - Madison Beer
So Much (for) Stardust - Fallout Boy
This Is Why - Paramore
Austin - Post Malone
The Record - Boygenius
Tension - Kyle Minogue
GUTS - Olivia Rodrigo
Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd - Lana Del Rey
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