Like every December, we close a year of music with our traditional lists. After the Best Albums and Best EPs and Mixtapes, we’re happy to unveil the songs that made 2019 according to our team. Are these the best releases of the year ? Maybe yes, maybe no. But for sure, they represent what we have loved over the 12 months.

2019 is also the end of a decade and, even if the blog did not exist 10 years ago, we will try to share our favourite tracks of this era during the first quarter of 2020.

Finally, I’d like to mention that HighClouds would not be the same without its team of dedicated writers. People don’t always realize it but running a blog and contributing, even only from time to time, requires a lot of energy on top of your full-time job. So thank you to each of you for this.

And now, here are the 100 tracks of 2019, as well as a huge Spotify playlist to go through our selection and discover some other amazing tracks that almost made the cut this year. Thank you for reading us and see you next decade!

[su_spacer]

100. 0171 – “1000 Words”

99. Modern Feelings – “Culture”

98. STAINWASHER – “Joy For Me”

97. Alina Bea – “King of Nothing”

96. Lowly – “baglaens”

95. Yot Club – “no way !”

94. Helado Negro – “Running”

93. BEA1991 – “Did You Feel Me Slip Away?”

92. Deaton Chris Anthony, Clairo, Coco & Clair Clair – “RACECAR”

91. Sandy – “Signals”

[su_divider top=”no”]

90. Common Holly – “You Dance”

89. Teen Body – “Validation”

88. SOPHIE, Doss – “Whole New World (Sophie and Doss remix)”

87. Emily Reo – “Ghosting”

86. Barrie – “Darjeeling”

85. Caroline Polachek – “Pang”

84. 박혜진 Park Hye Jin – “I DON’T CARE”

83. Kraków Loves Adana – “Follow The Voice”

82. Jessica Pratt – “Aeroplane”

81. Ariel – “Dream Team”

[su_divider top=”no”]

80. Spellling – “Under The Sun”

79. MUNYA – “It’s All About You”

78. Von – “Dealer’s Gone”

77. Makthaverskan – “Demands”

76. SASSY 009 – “Maybe in the Summer”

75. Jessie Ware – “Adore You”

74. PAT – “Love Will Find a Way Home”

73. XUXA SANTAMARIA – “Rudos Del Mar”

72. Ascendant Vierge – “Influenceur”

71. Thom Yorke – “Dawn Chorus”

[su_divider top=”no”]

70. Nilüfer Yanya – “Baby Blu”

69. Saeyers – “Cruise”

68. Quinn Christopher – “Erase Me”

67. The Dawdler – “Sylvie”

66. TR/ST – “Iris”

65. Jai Paul – “He”

64. Maria Somerville – “Brighter Days”

63. Morabeza Tobacco – “Orinoco”

62. Eartheater – “Fontanel”

61. Otha – “Tired and Sick”

[su_divider top=”no”]

60. Eugenia Post Meridiem – “Anjos”

59. Vagabon – “Water Me Down”

58. Lala Lala, WHY? – “Siren 042”

57. Jackie Mendoza – “De Lejos”

56. Dorian Electra – “Flamboyant”

55. Crack Cloud – “The Next Fix”

54. Chromatics – “You’re No Good”

53. Hana Vu – “Order”

52. Magdalena Bay – “Only If You Want It”

51. Ebhoni – “TGM”

[su_divider top=”no”]

50. Cherushii, Maria Minerva – “A Day Without You”

49. Maluca – “NYC Baby”

48. Tyler, The Creator – “EARFQUAKE”

47. JPEGMAFIA, Helena Deland – “Free The Frail”

46. Blue Hawaii – “Still I Miss U”

45. Oklou – “Forever”

44. Crumb – “Ghostride”

43. Ariana Grande – “NASA”

42. Weyes Blood – “Movies”

41. Pure Bathing Culture – “All Night”

[su_divider top=”no”]

40. Beauty Queen – “The Only One”

39. Couch Prints – “Tell U”

38. 070 Shake – “Morrow”

37. JORDANN – “Café Speed”

36. Lizzo – “Juice”

35. 100 gecs – “Money Machine”

34. Hand Habits – “can’t calm down”

33. Jenny Hval – “Ashes to Ashes”

32. (Sandy) Alex G – “Gretel”

31. Arlo Parks – “Super Sad Generation”

[su_divider top=”no”]

30. Grace Ives – “Anything”

29. Burial – “Claustro”

28. Sharon Van Etten – “Seventeen”

27. pronoun – “stay”

26. Requin Chagrin – “Sémaphore”

25. BEA1991 – “My Own Heaven”

24. Billie Eilish – “bad guy”

23. Sorry Girls – “One That You Want”

22. Japan, Man – “Stop Staring”

21. Drauve – “Haunted”

[su_divider top=”no”]

20. Big Thief – “UFOF”

[su_divider top=”no”]

19. MUNA – “Number One Fan”

[su_divider top=”no”]

18. Claud – “Easy”

[su_divider top=”no”]

17. Danny Brown – “Dirty Laundry”

[su_divider top=”no”]

16. Angel Olsen – “Lark”

[su_divider top=”no”]

15. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Want You In My Room”

[su_divider top=”no”]

14. Caroline Polachek – “Door”

[su_divider top=”no”]

13. Boy Harsher – “LA”

[su_divider top=”no”]

12. Magdalena Bay – “Venice”

[su_divider top=”no”]

11. Erika de Casier – “Do My thing”

[su_divider top=”no”]

10. Men I Trust – “Numb”

[su_divider top=”no”]

9. Charlotte Adigéry – “Paténipat”

[su_divider top=”no”]

8. Σtella – “Samba”

[su_divider top=”no”]

7. GEORGIA – “About Work The Dancefloor”

[su_divider top=”no”]

6. Lana Del Rey – “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have”

[su_divider top=”no”]

5. Aldous Harding – “The Barrel”

[su_divider top=”no”]

4. Big Thief – “Not”

[su_divider top=”no”]

3. Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens – “Gone”

[su_divider top=”no”]

2. FKA twigs – “Cellophane”

[su_divider top=”no”]

1. Clairo – “Bags”

[su_divider top=”no”]

Firstly, albums are not a thing of the past! Lof of people have claimed that this format was not relevant anymore in the streaming era, but the artists below have proven the contrary this year. Albums remain the best way to fully express an artistic direction and a vision.

Then again, it’s never easy to definitively rank albums so we guess that this list is only a photography of our tastes at this very moment. In one year, it could be totally different…

Finally, if you like any of these releases, and we’re sure you will, don’t forget to support the artists. Streaming is a good start, but it’s unfortunately not enough.

On Friday, we will unveil our Best Tracks of 2019 and you can already check the 20 EPs and Mixtapes that made our year. But for now, here are our 50 favourite albums of the year (you can also browse the entire list with our Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page).

[su_spacer]
[su_divider top=”no”]

50. Konradsen – “Saints and Sebastian Stories”

49. Sneaks – “Highway Hypnosis”

48. Tobi Duchampe – “The Saddest Game.”

47. Kelsey Lu – “Blood”

46. PAT – “Love Will Find A Way Home”

45. XUXA SANTAMARIA – “Chancletas D’Oro”

44. Toro y Moi – “Outer Space”

43. The Japanese House – “Good At Falling”

42. Dorian Electra – “Flamboyant”

41. Bodywash – “Comforter”

40. Holly Herndon – “PROTO”

[su_spacer]
[su_divider top=”no”]

39. Stella Donelly – “Beware of the Dogs”

38. Black Belt Eagle Scout – “At The Party With My Brown Friends”

37. Carla dal Forno – “Look Up Sharp”

36. Octo Octa – “Resonant Body”

35. TR/ST – “The Destroyer – Part 1”

34. Sharon Van Etten – “Remind Me Tomorrow”

33. Thom Yorke – “Anima”

32. Common Holly – “When I say to you Black Lightning”

31. Jessica Pratt – “Quiet Signs”

[su_spacer]
[su_divider top=”no”]

30. Boy Harsher – “Careful”

29. Two People – “First Body”

28. Charli XCX – “Charli”

27. Nilüfer Yanya – “Miss Universe”

26. Yeule – “Serotonin II”

25. Noah – “Thirty”

24. Crumb – “Jinx”

23. Morabeza Tobacco – “Morabeza Tobacco”

22. Tyler, the Creator – “IGOR”

21. Clairo – “Immunity”

[su_spacer]
[su_divider top=”no”]

20. Angel Olsen – “All Mirrors”

[su_divider top=”no”]

19. Aldous Harding – “Designer”

[su_divider top=”no”]

18. 100 gecs – “1000 gecs”

[su_divider top=”no”]

17. Danny Brown – “uknowhatimsayin¿”

[su_divider top=”no”]

16. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Dedicated”

[su_divider top=”no”]

15. JPEGMAFIA – “All My Friends Are Cornballs”

[su_divider top=”no”]

14. Sir Babygirl – “Crush on Me”

[su_divider top=”no”]

13. Chromatics – “Closer To Grey”

[su_divider top=”no”]

12. Men I Trust – “Oncle Jazz”

[su_divider top=”no”]

11. FKA twigs – “MAGDALENE”

[su_divider top=”no”]

10. Lana Del Rey – “Normal Fucking Rockwell!!”

[su_divider top=”no”]

9. Weyes Blood – “Titanic Rising”

[su_divider top=”no”]

8. Jenny Hval – “The Practice of Love”

[su_divider top=”no”]

7. Maria Somerville – “All My People”

[su_divider top=”no”]

6. Requin Chagrin – “Sémaphore”

[su_divider top=”no”]

5. Big Thief – “U.F.O.F.”

(It was really not easy to decide and it could have been “Two Hands” as well)

[su_divider top=”no”]

4. Caroline Polachek – “Pang”

[su_divider top=”no”]

3. Grace Ives – “2nd”

[su_divider top=”no”]

2. BEA1991 – “Brand New Adult”

(and artwork of the year)

[su_divider top=”no”]

1. Erika de Casier – “Essentials”

Tyler, The Creator has shared a video for “I THINK,” one of the highlights from his fifth album IGOR. The self-directed visuals (Wolf Haley is actually his other alias) are described as “a fraction of the video,” which means that more clips might be released soon. And if you like his look, you can now order his suits via his GOLF WANG online store (You’ll just have to buy a bleach-blonde wig to perfect your Tyler Tyler, The Creator shares “I THINK” visualslook for Halloween). Watch below.

[su_youtube_advanced url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkRdgFvuiYk”]

She’s been absolutely everywhere – and when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. If you still have vague memories of “Humanz”, Gorillaz’s first LP in seven years, you may recall Kali Uchis’s voice mingling with Damon Albarn’s on album highlight “ She’s My Collar”. Remember Miguel’s critically acclaimed “War & Leisure”? Well, she’s in there too. Ever heard of a guy who goes by the name Tyler, The Creator? That is Uchis singing in the best track off his last album. Are you one of the five people who still care about the Grammys? She was there too last year, nominated for two awards without even having put out an album yet. And that’s only if we’re taking into account her accomplishments in the English-speaking world – which we shouldn’t, because she’s massive outside of it (“El Ratico”, her single with fellow countryman and impossibly kitsch singer-songwriter Juanes, peaked at number 1 in Colombia.) It’s hard to remember the last time a pop singer reached these levels of omnipresence without having released an album.

“Isolation” does live up to the expectations that Kali Uchis has been setting for the past few months. It’s a surprisingly consistent album, particularly for a debut with dozens of different producers and guest artists. Sure, there’s no big single standing out from the other songs, but there’s hardly any clunker in it. Furthermore, “Isolation” is also one of the latest and most eloquent examples of pop music that can be highly accomplished at an artistic level without renouncing to a certain amount of commercial viability.

With her debut album “Isolation”, Kali Uchis proves that she is a true pop star in the real world, but she could also be one in a David Lynch film

Kali Uchis’s most valuable asset is undoubtedly her mass appeal, inarguably reinforced by her malleability as a singer. The only consistent leading thread on “Isolation” is her racy, alluring voice – this is an album where a minimalistic synth-pop Damon Albarn collaboration can follow up a reggaeton track sung in Spanish without raising anyone’s eyebrows. A cursory glance at “Isolation”’s sprawling list of collaborators and producers can be quite revealing. There’s literally a different team of producers for every track, which accounts for Isolation’s insistence on multifariousness as Uchis’s signature move. And it’s not like she’s drawing from a well-set-up group of musicians who have worked within similar circles for years. For every Greg Kurstin of Mark Spears, people who’ve added production chops to some of the biggest pop singles of the decade, there’s a Damon Albarn or a David Sitek, critically acclaimed alternative pop artists with a knack for flirting with the mainstream – fast forward a couple of generations and you can replace those middle-aged dudes with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and Brockhampton’s Romil, both also in Uchis’s production team.

But enough with the production talk. “Isolation” is first and foremost Kali Uchis’s album – her voice is an imposing presence on every track, dominating the listening experience with an astonishing charm rarely seen on a debut LP. Whether she’s singing over a faux-bosssanova instrumental (see opener “Body Language”) or on a festival-ready take on psychedelic pop (the Kevin Parker-produced “Tomorrow), Uchis’s swoon-worthy voice always ends up becoming the only focal point of her songs. While swapping genres seamlessly, Uchis inhabits different personae, putting on costume after costume as the music keeps playing in the background. In “Miami”, she becomes an East Coast version of Lana Del Rey, dropping a Smiths reference in a song about drug kingpins because that’s just what she does. Later on the album, she pays a visit to Damon Albarn’s oneiric fantasy, showing glimpses of an intermittent melancholy that permeates the most heartfelt songs on “Isolation”: “Why would anyone stay awake after being so sound asleep?”, she wonders in what’s arguably the album’s highlight.

There’s definitely something to be said about “Isolation”’s attempt to incorporate some sort of loose narrative into its musical backbone – “In My Dreams”, which features Uchis and Albarn mounting a strong case for their dream world as some sort of Eden unreachable in earthly life, is soon followed up by a brief and snoozy interlude where Uchis finally decides to wake up and face reality: “I’m getting tired of sleeping in / But you’re much better in my dreams / But I gotta get up / And get me something real”. But her way to confront the problems of the real always includes something of a dream element to it – see the Kevin Parker-produced “Tomorrow”, whose crude lyrical realism makes a stark contrast with the music’s hazey feel.

That striking contrast is precisely the true essence of Kali Uchis as an artist. She’s a true pop star in the real world, but she could also be one in a David Lynch film – Uchis’s presence would make complete sense both as a featuring artist on a chart-topping Pitbull track and as a mysterious neo-soul singer who suddenly begins whispering unintelligible gibberish to a giant kettle. “Isolation” is not only one of the best debut albums of the year; it’s also a powerful and successful reminder that there are times in life when you can win by playing left-field.

The first track features funk legend Bootsy Collins and longtime collaborator Tyler The Creator. There is also some additional production by BADBADNOTGOOD. Kali Uchis first connected with Bootsy Collins after she mentionned him in an interview as one of the artists she was dreaming to collaborate with. As a sign of mutual admiration, he reached out to her to work something together. About the track, she stated:

[su_quote]We can find solace in the fact that we have to go through the bad stuff to truly get to the good. Just because you’re losing at the moment doesn’t mean you’ve lost yet. The storm may be scary now but it’s how your flowers bloom later, and paradise is just beyond the rainbow.[/su_quote]

Kali Uchis‘s highly-anticipated debut album should be release this Spring.

[su_spacer]

100. CITY FATHER – “Coquette”

99. BILLIE EILISH – “Bellyache”

98. SABRINA CLAUDIO – “Belong To You”

97. PETRA GLYNT – “Fell In A Hole”

96. HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR + SHARON VAN ETTEN – “Omnion”

95. GIRLI – “Hot Mess”

94. THE SOFT MOON – “Burn”

93. J.I.D – “Never”

92. ACE TEE + KWAM.E – “Bist Du Down?”

91. CRALIAS – “Hope You Are”

[su_divider top=”no”]

90. CHROMATICS – “Shadow”

89. RUN THE JEWELS – “Legend Has It”

88. CARDI B – “Bodak Yellow”

87. YELLOW DAYS – “Hurt In Love”

86. JFDR – “Airbone”

85. SUSANNE SUNDFØR – “Undercover”

84. TOM TRIPP – “Aurelia”

83. SUPERORGANISM – “Something For Your M.I.N.D.”

82. KAN WAKAN – “Still Feather”

81. NILÜFER YANYA – “Baby Luv”

[su_divider top=”no”]

80. WAKE CHILD – “In The End”

79. JAJA BU – “Sweetness”

78. ALVVAYS – “Dreams Tonite”

77. KIDÄ – “Bone Mother”

76. HÅN – “The Children”

75. ULYSSE – “Mañana”

74. SHY GIRLS – “You Like The Pain Too”

73. GOURMET – “Delicious”

72. SORCHA RICHARDSON – “4AM”

71. MILLIE TURNER – “Underwater”

[su_divider top=”no”]

70. NABIHAH IQBAL – “Something More”

69. KEDR LIVANSKIY – “Your Name (имя твоё)”

68. MORGXN – “xx”

67. GRIZZLY BEAR – “Mourning Sound”

66. DANIEL CAESAR + KALI UCHIS – “Get You”

65. DILLON – “2.KIND”

64. COUCOU CHLOE + SEGA BODEGA – “Flip U”

63. THE TRP – “Soda”

62. JAY SOM – “The Bus Song”

61. GFOTY – “Tongue”

[su_divider top=”no”]

60. SELENA GOMEZ -“Bad Liar”

59. ELA MINUS – “Juan Sant”

58. EMPRESS OF – “Go To Hell”

57. SHE Major – “Please Don’t”

56. VAGABON – “Cold Appartment”

55. NADINE – “Ultra Pink”

54. SONDER – “Feel”

53. RINA SAWAYAMA – “Alterlife”

52. SEGA BODEGA + SHYGIRL – “CC”

51. GOLDLINK + BRENT FAIYAZ – “Crew”

[su_divider top=”no”]

50. CRATER – “Unearth”

49. QUAY DASH – “Decline Him”

48. YELLE – “Romeo”

47. GABRIEL GARZÓN-MONTANO – “Fruitflies”

46. WESLEE – “Bathwater”

45. FOREST SWORDS – “The Highest Flood”

44. KENDRICK LAMAR + ZACARI – “LOVE.”

43. ALEX CAMERON + ANGEL OLSEN – “Stranger’s Kiss”

42. SMERZ – “Oh My My”

41. SASSY 009 – “Are You Leaving”

[su_divider top=”no”]

40. CHARLI XCX – “Roll With Me”

39. TESSA DIXSON – “Prayer”

38. TOMMY GENESIS – “Tommy”

37. SSION – “Comeback”

36. PIXX – “Romance”

35. DANNY L HARLE – “1UL”

34. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – “american dream”

33. LANA DEL REY – “Love”

32. KING KRULE – “Dum Surfer”

31. SAMPHA – “(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano”

[su_divider top=”no”]

30. MAKTHAVERSKAN – “Vienna”

29. CCFX – “The One To Wait”

28. KLLO – “Downfall”

27. KELLY LEE OWENS + JENNY HVAL – “Anxi.”

26. BLUE HAWAII – “No One Like You”

25. FEVER RAY – “Wanna Sip”

24. JULIEN BAKER – “Turn Out The Lights”

23. LIL PEEP + LIL TRACY – “witchblades”

22. FAKA – “Uyang’khumbula”

21. TR/ST – “Bicep”

[su_divider top=”no”]

20. SARO – “Eyelids”

[su_divider top=”no”]

19. BROCKHAMPTON – “Summer”

[su_divider top=”no”]

18. TYLER, THE CREATOR + KALI UCHIS – “See You Again”

[su_divider top=”no”]

17. O-SHiN – “A Revelation”

[su_divider top=”no”]

16. ionnalee – “SAMARITAN”

[su_divider top=”no”]

15. Vince Staples – “Crabs In A Bucket”

[su_divider top=”no”]

14. WWWATER – “My Hands”

[su_divider top=”no”]

13. Björk – “Blissing Me”

[su_divider top=”no”]

12. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Cut To The Feeling”

[su_divider top=”no”]

11. Big Thief – “Mythological Beauty”

[su_divider top=”no”]

10. SZA – “Drew Barrymore”

[su_divider top=”no”]

9. Frank Ocean – “Chanel”

[su_divider top=”no”]

8. Wy – “Bathrooms”

[su_divider top=”no”]

7. SOPHIE – “It’s Okay To Cry”

[su_divider top=”no”]

6. Moses Sumney – “Doomed”

[su_divider top=”no”]

5. Kelela – “Onanon”

[su_divider top=”no”]

4. Arca – “Desafío”

[su_divider top=”no”]

3. Lorde – “The Louvre”

[su_divider top=”no”]

2. Perfume Genius – “Slip Away”

[su_divider top=”no”]

1. Yaeji – “Raingurl”

Listen to the 100 tracks of 2017 according to the HighClouds‘ staff via Spotify, Youtube and Deezer.

A self-proclaimed auteur – Denzel Himself is seated firmly in the pilot’s seat when it comes to his art. Looking at his latest track and video, “BANGIN’”, for example, we see that Denzel has taken on the roles of producer, composer, director and, of course, performer. The result is an audiovisual assault, complete with dirt-stained teeth, drool, booming bass, and eerie lyrics, like, “Cult shit for the ones who ain’t follow one”. Or, put more simply, a badass track underlying some twisted-ass visuals.

Denzel Himself does everything but fuck around, successfully carrying out a litany of different roles all at once – especially that of the villain.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/313452665″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
[su_spacer]

Digging a little further back into Denzel’s work, it’s obvious that he’s been on his creative grind for a minute now. Tracks like “Thrasher” and “State Ya Claim/Cherry” are rife with charisma, and show a good measure of restraint to give you the chance to breathe after going on the thrill ride that’s “BANGIN’”.

[su_spacer]
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/308507423″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
[su_spacer]

It seems well-worth keeping an eye on this U.K. trailblazer, even if he incites the occasional urge to look away. A full-fledged artist disguised as a rapper, Denzel Himself avoids tedium like the plague; or considering the dirt in his teeth – like a toothbrush.

Keep it up with Denzel Himself via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

[su_spacer]

Right from the get-go, Lou The Human makes one thing clear: “this the brink of insanity”. And, while the track is thoroughly composed and mostly calm, that statement still feels somehow accurate – with a dark, brooding undertone making things feel just deranged enough. The influences here are clearly recognizable, from the deeply Eminem-esque beat, to the occasional Mac Miller sounding flow and, of course, some disturbingly Odd Future-like bars, like, “Tie your baby mother up and fuck her in the family V”.

Wearing his influences on his sleeve, Lou The Human still manages to lay out his own style on his debut track, “Brink”.

While this song doesn’t ooze originality, it does possess enough to make the head-nodding, three-minute ride keep from feeling stale. Lou has the voice, the flows, and the bars, meaning it’s difficult to resist following along with the crazy shit he’s rapping about. Boldness and restraint both go a long way in hip-hop, and Lou The Human has struck a solid balance of both on “Brink”.

For as mysteriously as Lou The Human has snuck into the spotlight, it doesn’t look like the New Yorker is planning on slinking back into the shadows anytime soon. Keep an eye out for his ‘Humaniac EP’, expected to release soon.

[su_spacer]
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/310552358″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]