Wednesday, January 26, 2022 — 5
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

2021 was the year artists pulled out the 

big guns. Some of the industry’s heaviest 
hitters released albums that will undoubt-
edly become classics in the years to come. 
In addition, many new and lesser-known 
artists exploded onto the scene last year 
with groundbreaking releases. While in no 
particular order, here is a short list of what 
The Michigan Daily’s very own music writ-
ers believe to be the ten best albums released 
in 2021.

— Kai Bartol, Music Beat Editor, and Rosa 

Sofia Kaminski, Senior Arts Editor

CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, Tyler, 

the Creator 

After the career milestone of IGOR, hype 

surrounding Tyler, the Creator’s newest 
album was skyrocketing, and he certainly 
did not disappoint. Guiding us through 
another weird and wonderful world was his 
newest alter-ego, Sir Baudelaire. 

While not as fiery and passionate as 

IGOR, Tyler takes on a more relaxed tone: In 
a sense, he’s made it, and now he’s just flex-
ing. The features on the album show again 
how Tyler is still one of the best collabora-
tors in rap right now: The standout track 
“HOT WIND BLOWS” featured a shining 
verse from Lil Wayne, one of his best in a 
while. All of Tyler’s best qualities are pres-
ent in this album, with Tyler himself hav-
ing grown more mature and self-reflective. 
Tyler already has a hell of a career to look 
back on, and I can’t wait to see what he has in 
store for the future.

— Jason Zhang, Daily Arts Writer

An Evening With Silk Sonic, Silk Sonic
In an era of pop music where artists often 

seem content to rehash the best (and worst) 
elements of the 1980s, Bruno Mars and 
Anderson .Paak’s decision to look even fur-
ther backward and fully embrace the 1970s 
immediately distinguishes An Evening with 
Silk Sonic — their debut record together as 
Silk Sonic.

Of course, Silk Sonic is also distinguished 

by Mars and .Paak’s unparalleled vocal abili-
ties, which were showcased on the album’s 
electrifying lead-up singles. But what makes 
An Evening with Silk Sonic so special is the 

quality of the project beyond those singles. 
The whole album is masterfully produced 
and features powerful backing instrumen-
tals that perfectly capture different emo-
tions, from the playful wah-wah guitar on 
“Fly As Me” to the somber strings on “Put 
On A Smile.”

Unlike Mars’s previous music — which, 

let’s face it, tends to lose its impact once FM 
radio stations and grocery stores start play-
ing it on loop — the little details of An Eve-
ning with Silk Sonic keep it fresh and make it 
even better with each listen, just like the leg-
endary soul and funk music that inspired it.

— Jack Moeser, Daily Arts Writer

Red (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift
Red (Taylor’s Version) was one of the most 

anticipated albums of 2021, and it lived up to 
its expectations. Composed of re-recordings 
from Swift’s 2012 Red plus ten bonus tracks 
“from the vault,” Red (Taylor’s Version) 
smashed streaming records, becoming the 
most-streamed album in one day by a female 
artist, with over 90.8 million streams on Spo-
tify. 

“All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Tay-

lor’s Version) (From The Vault),” a fan favor-
ite off the album, also set the record for the 
longest number one song on the Billboard 
Hot 100, overtaking Don McLean’s “Ameri-
can Pie.” The celebration of Swift’s release 
was felt everywhere, with watch parties for 
the “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” short 
film across the U.S. and even a shoutout from 
the Empire State Building, which lit up red to 
celebrate the album. 

Red (Taylor’s Version), Swift’s second 

re-recorded album in her mission to regain 
ownership of her music, marks an important 
shift in discussions of intellectual property 
and record deals, giving hope to other artists 
who have also suffered losses at the hands of 
record companies.

— Kaitlyn Fox, Daily Arts Writer

Promises, Floating Points
When it was first announced that the 

supergroup of Floating Points’s Sam Shep-
herd, Pharoah Sanders and the London Sym-
phony Orchestra would be colliding forces to 
produce a record, there weren’t many people 
without high expectations. For one, it would 
be Pharaoh Sanders’s first album in decades. 
Add to that Floating Points’s excellent recent 
releases and the ingredients seem all laid out 

for a high-quality project. 

Even so, I’m not convinced there were 

many people that predicted the heights that 
the final product would reach. It doesn’t 
feel right to call Promises a classical piece, 
despite the prominent and climactic pres-
ence of the London Symphony Orchestra. If 
anything, it acts more like an ambient record, 
with each movement building off of the same 
motif throughout. Even though Sam Shep-
herd’s compositional acumen was already at 
a high level, the fact that he was also able to 
unlock the fullest potential of his collabora-
tors truly speaks to his progression as a musi-
cal arranger. 

The real star here, however, is Pharaoh 

Sanders’s saxophone work, some of his 
most challenging and legendary to date. He 
effectively acts as the textural centerpiece 
to the project, perfectly utilizing his signa-
ture discordant sound and even his voice 
to puncture through the mystic serenity of 
Shepherd’s production. This truly feels like 
the final jewel in the crown for Sanders. In 
any case, Promises certainly delivers on its 
namesake.

— Drew Gadbois, Daily Arts Writer

I Know I’m Funny haha, Faye Webster
Atlanta musician Faye Webster harnesses 

her sadness on I Know I’m Funny haha with 
the smoothness of a summertime breeze, 
charged with a golden mixture of warmth 
and melancholy.

Underneath coaxing vocals and steel gui-

tar twangs, Webster’s lyrics are imbued with 
subtle humor and a kind of unhurried hones-
ty you might find in a diary entry. She jumps 
from tales of mind-numbing boredom at the 
absence of a love interest on “Better Distrac-
tions” to the sting of unrequited romance 
with professional athletes on “A Dream With 
a Baseball Player” with unbridled vulner-
ability. Webster doesn’t just write sad songs 
on I Know I’m Funny haha; she fleshes out 
these moments of romantic conflict with full 
understanding of love’s inherent awkward-
ness and unexpected joys.

Webster’s evergreen transparency is 

refreshing and what makes this record a 
mainstay in my rotation. She finds her fair 
share of roadblocks and tears throughout 
the project’s 11 tracks but never loses sight of 
her own journey of self-growth. I Know I’m 
Funny haha is a soulful navigation of love 
and growing up, whose sincerity undoubt-

edly solidifies the album as timeless.

— Nora Lewis, Daily Arts Writer

Planet Her, Doja Cat
Doja Cat’s second album, Planet Her, was 

the perfect record to solidify Doja’s spot as a 
top artist in the music industry. 

While viral songs like “MOOO!” and “Say 

So” made Doja a household name, Planet 
Her defined her as a talented singer, rapper 
and performer, even without the memes and 
TikTok dances. Songs like “Need To Know,” 
“Kiss Me More” and “Get Into It (Yuh)” 
trended on TikTok, but where most TikTok 
trends tend to get old quickly, these tracks 
remained just as good after they went viral. 

Watching Doja Cat perform Planet Her at 

various music festivals in the fall of 2021 was 
mesmerizing; Doja knows how to control an 
audience through being a raw, real person 
and having a stage presence that can hypno-
tize anyone. Planet Her is a perfect mixture 
of pop perfection and rap, and Doja’s eight 
Grammy nominations for the record are 
more than well deserved.

— Gigi Ciulla, Daily Arts Writer

The Melodic Blue, Baby Keem
Following two well-received mixtapes 

in the past three years, Las Vegas-raised 
Baby Keem’s debut studio album provides 
an opportunity for the 21-year-old to assert 
himself as one of rap’s future power players. 

Keem definitely has the benefit of a little 

bit of nepotism, as his cousin (and, in this 
writer’s opinion, best rapper alive) Kend-
rick Lamar features on three of the album’s 
tracks. The sheer talent of both artists is 
apparent on these high-quality tracks, with 
“family ties,” serving as a two-faced exercise 
in brilliance with its dueling beats. Keem 
makes great use of collaborators all across 
the album, another highlight being Brent 
Faiyaz’s saccharine verse on “lost souls.” 
Keem doesn’t just lean back on his features, 
though. His output on these songs either 
matches or exceeds the quality of the other 
artists, but his solo moments in the spotlight 
shine as well, such as “16.” If rap fans weren’t 
convinced before, The Melodic Blue should 
be a sufficient signal that Baby Keem is com-
ing, and not much can stop him. 

— Ryan Brace, Daily Arts Writer

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Little 

Simz

Little Simz has been in the music game 

for quite some time, but Sometimes I Might 
Be Introvert has solidified her place in the 
industry. 

Simz lets her listeners into her world, and 

there are many intimate moments that allow 
this album to shine. It listens like a memoir, 
as Simz finds the balance between universal-
ity and specificity to her life experience. Simz 
creates space for introspection on tracks like 
“I Love You, I Hate You” while balancing it 
through moments of gratitude and celebra-
tion on “Woman” and “Point and Kill.” 

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert proves 

that success and a standing ovation from the 
world do not mean being in some grand per-
formance or character. Simz remains true to 
her introverted self and creates an anthem 
for all of us who would rather stay home all 
day.

— Katy Trame, Daily Arts Writer

Vulture Prince, Arooj Aftab
Arooj Aftab’s Vulture Prince deserves a 

spot on any “Best of 2021” lists. The album 
from the Brooklyn-based Pakistani compos-
er spans an impressive number of styles and 
influences while managing to stay cemented 
in Aftab’s breathtaking vocals and impossi-
bly lush instrumentation.

She reaches out suddenly, as the first track 

“Baghon Main” tunes our ears to a cham-
ber of plucking harps and the slow burn of 
Aftab’s silky vocals, and holds you until the 
very second the music stops. Without losing 
our attention for a second, Aftab lulls us with 
each track, bringing us to shattering peaks 
and crystal clear lows. Her vocal range is as 
impressive as the range of instruments and 
musical traditions that make their way onto 
the album. 

The influences vary from Hindustani 

classical, to minimalism, to vocal jazz, invok-
ing the likes of Billie Holiday and dub-reg-
gae on “Last Night.” The comfort, warmth, 
chill, emotion and unrelenting charm of 
Aftab as a vocalist only heighten the pro-
found moments of lyricism and composi-
tion. Devoted to the memory of her younger 
brother, Vulture Prince is a confession of sto-
ries, of lost moments and of love. You would 
be pressed to find music released this year as 
captivating and as immediately beautiful as 
this.

Last year, the slow return to movie the-

aters coincided with the Streaming Renais-
sance, making movies more accessible than 
ever. From long-awaited returns from two 
of Hollywood’s foremost Andersons (Paul 
Thomas and Wes), to boundary-pushing 
international features you may have missed, 
to stage-to-screen adaptations (good and 
bad), 2021 was a great year for movies. In 
no particular order, here are the Film Beat’s 
ten favorite movies of 2021.

— Jacob Lusk, Film Beat Editor and 

Katrina Stebbins, Senior Arts Editor

“Licorice Pizza”
In the past few years of tumult, I have 

wondered about change. I am changing, you 
are changing, we are all new versions of the 
people we’ve since discarded. All too rare-
ly do I think about the forces behind that 
change — my own agency or just the world 
slowly roiling to shit — nor do I sit down 
and reflect, ponder how change happens or 
where it has left me. 

“Licorice Pizza” performed something of 

a miracle in that it allowed me to experience 
the course of my own enjoyment chang-
ing, welling up even moments after I saw 
it. Maybe it’s just me, but this isn’t a very 
pleasant film. It’s bright and loud and curi-
ous and maybe even a little hopeful at times, 
but it’s tough and queasy and sour too. Only 
after the credits rolled could I breathe a sigh 
of relief and accept a kind of nostalgia that 
can whisk away the darkness.

This is all to say: Maybe we have no 

control over the people we will become 
tomorrow or how content they’ll be. No 
more control than Gary (Cooper Hoffman, 
debut) as he watches his waterbed business 
crumble as the oil crisis sends the cost of 
rubber mattresses through the roof. That 
isn’t to say there aren’t little joys all around 
us worth celebrating. A hug from a crush, 
or a friend, or someone complicatedly both. 
The kinetic rush of a six-wheeler, out of gas 
and trundling down the hilly Hollywood 
streets. A kid actor, smashing a fluffy pillow 
into the face of his obnoxious boss, live on 
TV.

“Licorice Pizza” promises something I’ve 

never considered: These flecks are invisible 
to me right now. There is some happiness 
that can only be uncovered when you look 
back after the storm has beaten you down. I 
hope you will look for them with me, some-
day.

— Anish Tamhaney, Daily Arts Writer

“West Side Story”
Adapting a classic is a tall order, but occa-

sionally you end up with the kind of film 
that outdoes its source material. Following 
the success of the 1957 stage production, 
the original “West Side Story” screen adap-

tation has been beloved since its release 
in 1961, but the film is also a relic of a time 
when Hollywood’s greater vices, specifi-
cally brownface and whitewashing, ran 
unchecked. In the 1961 film, the members of 
the Sharks, the Puerto Rican gang in a turf 
war with the white Jets, were primarily 
played by white men in brown makeup; Rita 
Moreno (“One Day at a Time”), who played 
Anita and won a Best Supporting Actress 
Oscar for her performance, recounted that 
she was also given dark makeup despite 
being Puerto Rican.

This new adaptation, helmed by Ste-

ven Spielberg (“Jaws”), offers a chance to 
right those wrongs. It has all of the flashy 
dance numbers and catchy tunes from the 
original, but with new, thoughtful dimen-
sions to some of its previously overlooked 
characters. Screenwriter Tony Kushner 
(“Lincoln”) rearranges some songs to great 
effect and gives stronger backstories and 
purpose to members of both the Sharks 
and Jets. Tensions between the gangs are 
not framed as fundamental racial and cul-
tural differences; instead, the ever-looming 
threat of the construction of Lincoln Cen-
ter and subsequent gentrification repre-
sent a wider sociopolitical context. The 
Romeo and Juliet love story between Maria 
(Rachel Zegler, debut) and Tony (Ansel 
Elgort, “Baby Driver”), despite being a cata-
lyst for violence between the two gangs, is 
less central to the film because the support-
ing characters are so engrossing. Ariana 
DeBose (“The Prom”) in particular gives a 
stunning performance as Anita: Don’t be 
surprised if DeBose wins a Best Support-
ing Actress Oscar for Anita, 60 years after 
Moreno won hers. This awards season 
has already seen wins and numerous nods 
for Zegler, DeBose and Moreno, as well as 
Spielberg and Kushner.

Moreno is given a new opportunity in 

the remake as Valentina, a replacement 
for a peripheral character in the 1961 film. 
As part of the change, Moreno’s character 
sings the song “Somewhere” at one of the 
emotional turning points of the film. While 
the 1961 version of “Somewhere” is a lament 
between Tony and Maria about their for-
bidden love, Moreno’s version is softer, 
more universal — contemplating what 
divides people, with the hope that someday 
the world will change. It’s this energy and 
reflection that makes “West Side Story” feel 
like a more poignant, less problematic ver-
sion of the 1961 film, and that in and of itself 
elevates it to one of the best films of the year.

— Kari Anderson, Daily Arts Writer

“Flee”
“Nary a more guttural noise has escaped 

my lips.” I’m obnoxiously quoting myself. 
That’s what I wrote about my reaction to 
the film “Flee” when it premiered at Sun-
dance Film Festival last year, in regards to 
the laughs and cries and laugh-cries the 

film encouraged and carefully drew from 
my lungs.

That was at the beginning of the year. 

Many moons and many movies later and 
“Flee” has not been ousted as the king of 
kings of kings of movies this past year. 
“Flee” reigns supreme and remains unflag-
gingly unique.

You’re more than likely unfamiliar with 

“Flee,” for the simple fact that it has barely 
graced the silver screen. Picked up by Neon 
(they’re the guys that distributed “Para-
site”) after its smash premiere at Sundance, 
it’s not yet available for streaming and is 
only just making its way to theaters.

It’s got a number of things going for it. For 

one, it’s a smashing story about real events 
(the premise of trueness always ups the ante 
a bit, eh?) in the life of Afghan refugee Amin 
Nawabi — a documentary retelling of just 
one example of what millions of displaced 
and diasporic people have gone through.

And it’s this aspect of the film that justi-

fies its existence as not just a documentary 
but an animated film. Amin Nawabi is a 
pseudonym. Owing to his harried flight 
from Afghanistan, his identity remains con-
cealed by the stylized touch of the animated 
medium, simultaneously serving as a tool 
to both obfuscate and augment the story as 
it alternates between the rotoscoped-pre-
cision of a present-day Amin and the more 
elemental renderings of his whiplashing 
emotional state as his country-hopping past 
is brought to life.

“Flee” is hitting the Michigan Theater 

Jan. 28. Go see it.

— Jacob Lusk, Film Beat Editor

“Encanto”
As a proud Disney adult and admirer of 

all things animation, “Encanto” became a 
must-watch for me as soon as it was released 
on Disney+. Like most Disney animated 
films, “Encanto” features an incredibly 
beautiful soundtrack with hits like “Sur-
face Pressure” and “We Don’t Talk About 
Bruno” composed by Lin Manuel Miranda 
(“In the Heights”). This, combined with the 
colorful scenery of an animated Colombia, 
makes for an experience that pleasantly 
awakens all of the senses, and I didn’t want 
it to end.

Watching the film on Christmas day 

with my family reminded me of why movies 
for all ages are so important (and difficult to 
come by). “Encanto” pleases children with 
its irresistible colors, music and a plot that’s 
easy to follow. But it satisfies adults in a dif-
ferent way, with its ability to bring a fam-
ily together in one room and put a smile on 
everyone’s faces. These shared experiences 
are what, at least in my eyes, make films 
special. “Encanto” is relatable to everyone 
in some shape or form, reminding us that 
there is something unique that makes each 
person who they are. While it’s a strong 
message for an impressionable audience of 

younger children, it’s also a message adults 
can benefit from after a year of more fre-
quent self-reflection than usual. We’ve all 
questioned ourselves over the course of the 
pandemic in some capacity as we look for 
something hopeful to grasp onto. “Encan-
to” reminds us to keep searching. There are 
always spontaneous moments of what feels 
like magic embedded in our lives. We just 
have to find and appreciate them. 

— Laura Millar, Daily Arts Writer

“Titane”
I think of myself as something of a safe 

consumer, a creature of habit. I know what 
kinds of movies I like and I tend to stick 
to them: coming-of-age tearjerkers, over-
blown period pieces, slow-going medita-
tions on everyday life, movie musicals. Most 
of my favorite movies are ones I can sink 
into slowly, that envelope me like a weight-
ed blanket.

But “Titane,” my favorite movie of 2021, 

is absolutely none of those things. Direct-
ed by French filmmaker Julia Ducour-
nau (“Raw”) and last year’s winner of the 
Palme d’Or, “Titane” is bold and audacious 
and really fucking gross. Even if it’s also 
strangely sweet at times, its goal is never to 
comfort; it’s all sharp edges and emotional 
whiplash, making it nearly impossible to 
sink into (on the off chance you feel pos-
sessed to do that at all). Its main character 
— a queer, binary-breaking anti-hero(ine) — 
has sex with a car, becomes pregnant with 
the car’s child, goes on a killing spree and 
then assumes a new identity, all in under 
two hours. It’s all gore and body horror and 
unassailable weirdness, the kind of movie 
you might watch, half shied-away, through 
the spaces between your fingers, but find 
impossible to fully turn away from. My jaw 
dropped no more than fifteen minutes in, 
and I couldn’t pick it up until well after the 
credits rolled.

Take it from a self-proclaimed wuss 

with a very low tolerance for gross things: 

“Titane” is not for everyone. It can be a dif-
ficult watch, but it’s also a genius thing — a 
forceful, raw confrontation of masculinity 
and femininity, of family, of losing and find-
ing. It’s not for everyone but, then again, I 
didn’t think it’d be for me. If I haven’t scared 
you off completely, see “Titane” with an 
open mind and know that whatever you’re 
expecting won’t be even close to what you 
get.

— Katrina Stebbins, Senior Arts Editor

“Annette”
“Annette” is the kind of film an artist 

makes when they think they aren’t going to 
make another. Leos Carax’s (“Holy Motors”) 
latest masterpiece feels like a fever dream. 
It is bizarre, depressing and intoxicating in 
all the right ways. Where else can you see 
a character singing while performing oral 
sex, a cheesy parody of crass tabloid news 
shows and a creepy wooden baby puppet 
all in the same film? Adam Driver (“House 
of Gucci”) gives one of the best perfor-
mances of his career, using his physicality 
and presence to create a terrifying portrait 
of a monster losing his mind. It’s the most 
perfect post-“Star Wars” project he could 
have picked — it destroys any notion that 
he’s just Kylo Ren. Driver is one of the best 
actors currently working, not just because 
of his acting talent, but because he’s willing 
to pick weird, challenging roles like this and 
give them everything he has. Every choice 
made in this film is a calculated swing for 
the fences, and while some aspects don’t 
totally work — like its uneven, nonsensical 
plot — it is so refreshing to see a film go for it 
all with such aplomb. People either seem to 
adore or despise this film, and that’s really 
the best compliment you can give it. It gen-
erates a strong reaction from its audience, 
and it doesn’t care whether that’s good or 
bad. 

— Mitchel Green, Daily Arts Writer

The 10 Best Albums of 2021

The Top 10 Films of 2021

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