NME said: “If its title refers to a place where you can be your true self, then this album reflects its creator as a curious, confident and passionate artist whose songs help make the world feel that little bit bigger again.” Genesis Owusu, ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ A sublime and addictive first full-length release from one of K-pop’s most in-demand stars. The globe-trotting ‘Querencia’ pulled from the sounds of Latin America, the Caribbean, European synth-pop, Afrobeat and more to create a boundary-free utopia that offered flirty fun, self-empowerment and doses of empathy. Packing the same blues-busting escapist energy as Dua Lipa’s ‘Future Nostalgia’, Chung Ha’s debut album whisked us off around the world and into her own universe. NME said: “The honesty and authenticity of the situations gives the album its emotional resonance, but Claud has the bonafide pop ear to back it up.” Chung Ha, ‘Querencia’ The rising bedroom-pop artist, who comes with a literal Phoebe Bridgers co-sign after being snapped up by her label Saddest Factory, deftly details the complexities of young love over a patchwork of genres, from funk-pop to pop-punk. Growing up might be hard but, on their debut album, Claud effortlessly captures the highs and lows of coming of age. NME said: “The extraordinary ‘Spare Ribs’ is graffiti on a concrete wall there’s no manifesto, no easy answers and nowhere to hide.” Claud, ‘Super Monster’ The journey it went on was often intense, but equally as inventive – a fitting representation of the path you often take to discover who you really are. The south Londoners’ second album drilled into chaos and claustrophobia, dove into their dreams to find answers and headed for the highlands to party with a man known as Acid Dad. Shame, ‘Drunk Tank Pink’Īfter casting a sardonic punk spell on our hearts with their 2018 debut ‘Songs Of Praise’, Shame’s return found them struggling with life off the road and grappling with their identities back in the real world. For now, and in no particular order, here are the best albums of 2021 so far. If the second half of the year is as musically rich as the first, we’re in for a real treat. While the outside world remains bleak, today’s artists have stepped up to the plate to deliver us mood-changing escapism, hard-hitting realism and everything in between. Half a year in and already 2021 is shaping up to be a corker – in terms of albums, at least.