As we approach the midway point of 2019, here's our constantly evolving recap of our favorite albums, songs, and videos from the first half of an already insane year. In an era when truly special new records seem to evade or evaporate from the internet's collective consciousness at an unsettling rate -- in many cases before they're even officially released -- it's not easy to keep up, but I've done my best. As always, please feel free to let us know what we've missed. And once again, we're excluding releases from our label Luminelle from our lists, although we love them all dearly.

ALBUMS

Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) Artwork
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01 JAI PAUL | Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)
02 ERIKA de CASIER | Essentials
03 BIG THIEF | U.F.O.F.
04 YVES JARVIS | The Same but by Different Means
05 BEA1991 | Brand New Adult
06 ALDOUS HARDING | Designer
07 FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB | Bandana
08 JESSICA PRATT | Quiet Signs
09 ARIANA GRANDE | thank u, next
10 NIVHEK | After its own death / Walking in a spiral towards the house
11 BALTRA | Ted
12 TYLER, THE CREATOR | IGOR
13 KORNÉL KOVÁCS | Stockholm Marathon
14 박혜진 park hye jin | IF U WANT IT
15 BILLIE EILISH | WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
16 FAYE WEBSTER | Atlanta Millionaires Club
17 NILÜFER YANYA | Miss Universe
18 LAUREL HALO | DJ-Kicks
19 BURIAL | Claustro / State Forest
20 GRACE IVES | 2nd

NEXT 20 (alphabetical)

BARRIE | Happy to Be Here
BELLA BOO | Supervillain
BOY HARSHER | Careful
CARLY RAE JEPSEN | Dedicated
HAND HABITS | Placeholder
KIM PETRAS | Clarity (singles)
KEDR LIVANSKIY | Your Need
KELSEY LU | Blood
LITTLE SIMZ | GREY Area
MARIA SOMERVILLE | All My People
MEGA BOG | Dolphine
PANDA BEAR | Buoys
PI’ERRE BOURNE + YOUNG NUDY | Sli’merre
POTTERY | No. 1
PURE BATHING CULTURE | Night Pass
RABIT | THE DOPE SHOW
SOFIA KOURTESIS | Sofia Kourtesis
SOLANGE | When I Get Home
TORO y MOI | Outer Peace / Soul Trash
WEYES BLOOD | Titanic Rising


 

SONGS

photo: Alexa Viscius
Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief // photo: Alexa Viscius
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01 BIG THIEF | Jenni
02 ALDOUS HARDING | The Barrel
03 JAI PAUL | Do You Love Her Now / He
04 PLAYBOI CARTI + YOUNG NUDY | Kid Cudi
05 GEORGIA | About Work the Dancefloor
06 JESSIE WARE | Adore You
07 KIM PETRAS | 1,2,3 Dayz Up (feat. SOPHIE)
08 CLAUD | Easy
09 LANA DEL REY | hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it
10 STORMZY | Vossi Bop
11 ARIANA GRANDE | NASA
12 CARLY RAE JEPSEN | Want You in My Room
13 BURIAL | Claustro
14 HELADO NEGRO | Running
15 ΣTELLA | Samba
16 ERIKA de CASIER | Space
17 SCHOOLBOY Q | Numb Numb Juice
18 EBHONI | TGM
19 BILLIE EILISH | bury a friend
20 LIL NAS X | Old Town Road
21 ZSELA | Noise
22 STEVE LACY | Playground
23 CHROMATICS | Time Rider
24 (SANDY) ALEX G | Gretel
25 JAPAN, MAN | Stop Staring


 

VIDEOS

01 BEA1991 | My Own Heaven

02 ALDOUS HARDING | The Barrel

03 BOY HARSHER | LA

04 FKA TWIGS | Cellophane

05 STORMZY | Vossi Bop