This week marks the official end to an unusual summer. Although there was a notable absence of the classic summer traditions that we know and love, we were still able to enjoy the plethora of fantastic music that was released in the past year.

Here are some of our team members’ favorite albums of the summer:
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Luca’s Pick

Blame it on Baby by DaBaby
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Favorite Tracks: Rockstar, Blind, Peep Hole and Find My Way
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2019 was huge for DaBaby. He put the world on notice with huge hits like Suge and Bop. It’s easy to fumble a sophomore act, but BIOB gave some of the most memorable anthems of the summer. Rockstar was the obvious stand out as one of the biggest songs of the year, but songs like Blind, Peep Hole and Find My Way were standouts that show how versatile “rap” can be. He’s not just shown that he’s here to stay - he’s made it clear that his range is only going to keep growing.
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Honorable Mentions: Industry Games - Chika, Chilombo - Jhene Aiko, Twice As Tall - Burna Boy
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Alli’s Pick

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers
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Favorite Tracks: Garden Song, Chinese Satellite and I Know the End
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I had a bit of difficulty getting into her first album, Strangers in the Alps, but Punisher has been on my album rotation since my first listen and has turned me into a huge fan of her work. Much of the album focuses on the different ways we perceive loss, a theme that is strikingly relevant during this era of uncertainty. It has been a comfort album of sorts, and I especially loved listening to Punisher while driving at night with the windows rolled down.
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The album has an apocalyptic tone that doesn’t get too dark or too cheesy. Punisher chooses to revel in the chaos rather than shy away from it.
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Pat’s Pick

Folklore by Taylor Swift
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Favorite Tracks: The 1, Illicit Affairs and Invisible String
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While I'm a die hard Taylor Swift fan to begin with, Folklore wowed me on an additional level by absolutely meeting the moment, serving as a soundtrack to a lost summer stolen away by the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you listen to the album, it presents much more as a Fall/Winter album, and the album's general aesthetic coalesces with that as well. But it really met the moment in time, and provided joyful solace in isolation.
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The album, throughout all of its tracks, shows an unprecedented degree of maturity from Swift, and has been in the background of every one of my memories this summer.
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McKinley’s Pick

Chromatica by Lady Gaga
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Favorite Tracks: 911, Plastic Doll and Babylon
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Had Chromatica not been released amidst a global health pandemic, it would have been the soundtrack of fierce dance parties and late night debauchery in posh clubs and revered venues across the world. While COVID robbed us of the opportunities to dance en masse, the entire album rejected the limits of social distancing by bringing listeners of all backgrounds together to enjoy music that celebrates and rebukes the highs and lows of our shared human experience through the lens of life, loss, identity and love.
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Throughout the album, Gaga explores an evolution of electronic dance music paired with lyrics and artistic collaborations that demonstrate her musical range and reinforce why she is the definitive pop musician of our time. Gaga’s ability to bring people together through her music is a timeless trademark of talent but with Chromatica specifically, her talent is also a timely act of defiance.