Ultraviolence [Lana Del Rey, 2014]

favourite tracks:

1. Black Beauty
2. Florida Killos
3. Brooklyn Baby

notes:

i think it's the best of lana's work by far, the moody aesthetic and slightly grungier sound is lana in her full element. i love the influence of rock and dream pop on these tracks and the pop-noir style that it carries is what keeps me going back to listen through the whole work everytime. it is her magnum opus(as a die hard fan of this album i'm a bit biased), she made it during one of the lowest points of her life after sworing she wouldn't make music again. On a personal note, it was how i discovered her work, and the nostalgia i get for the summer of 2017 is insane. to think lana was there for all the stages of my girlhood since i was 9 is crazy to think about, love her.

Wasteland, Baby! [Hozier, 2019]

favourite tracks:

1. Movement
2. No Plan
3. Talk

notes:

hozier is another artist i carry really close to my heart, i discovered his music during a seasonal depression and he's been there for me ever since lol. i considered putting his debut album on this list, but Wasteland, Baby! is the work i most connect to during this stage of my life, i'm a sucker for the sultrier and slower sound and the themes he brings into the lyrics offer me a lot of comfort. hozier is a lyrics genius and as someone who enjoys breaking down the meaning behind every little piece of media i encounter, i always have a lot of fun going back to his stuff and finding a new perspective to the things he sings about. the usage of greek mythology on this one is heavy too, which i love.

Marina Lima [Marina Lima, 1991]

favourite tracks:

1. Não Sei Dançar
2. Pode Ser O Que For
3. Criança

notes:

a national treasure! a classic of brazilian popular songs that should be on everyone's song rotation. the album carries a melancholic sound perfect to listen to when you're going through a romantic frustration, marina's voice is beautiful and the emotions she conveys transcend any language barrier.

The College Dropout [Kanye West, 2004]

favourite tracks:

1. All Falls Down
2. Slow Jamz
3. Never Let Me Down

notes:

the album that introduced me to hip hop in a time i didn't know what i was missing out on, it my be a basic take but i think it's kanye's best work, which is ironic since this debut handles the theme of anxiety of trying to make it in the music industry while being doubted by peers. it's a classic underdog narrative that kanye presents with an honest and humorous perspective. the uplifting old school beats on every song gives me joy whenever i go through this album, kanye channeled his frustrations into creativity and that i think everyone can learn a little bit from that. this album hits a bit different now that i'm in college, i went through some frustrations of not getting into the one college i wanted and the constant comparison with other's successes.The College Dropout presents that rejecting conventional paths to success or simply not meeting external expectations is not the end of the world, you can survive and rise from it.

Lamp Genso [Lamp, 2008]

favourite tracks:

1. Hatachi No Koi
2. Yume Utsutsu
3. Hakucyumu

notes:

beautifully dreamy, when i'm sad, tired or angry i simply put this on and i'm instantly relaxed. it's a great soundtrack to channel creativity, i find myself most productive when i'm listening to Lamp. Kaori's and Yusuke's vocals are like a warm cup of coffee on a cold morning, they take me to a happy and peaceful place within my mind, it also reminds me a lot of the feeling i get when watching Ghibli movies, it's a part of childhood and mundane life i treasure.

Abbey Road [The Beatles, 1969]

favourite tracks:

1. Something
2. Here Comes The Sun
3. Oh! Darling

notes:

you can't really have a list of favorite albums without including some of The Beatles' work. it was really hard choosing which one to put on here, but Abbey Road has a huge emotional weight to me. My little brother was born whilst Here Comes The Sun was playing on my dad's ipod, it's a faint memory nowadays, but like my other childhood ones, it's always connected to The Beatles somehow. The warm and sophisticated feel of the album features sunny harmonies and that late 60s pop-rock sound i'm nostalgic for without ever experiencing it. it balances bright optimism with bluesy intensity which reminds me of the beauty in life despite things looking grey sometimes. it's timeless.

Grace [Jeff Buckley, 1994]

favourite tracks:

1. Lover, You Should've Come Over
2. Last Goodbye
3. Dream Brother

notes:

i discovered Jeff back in the beginning of 2023, i didn't know much about his life but i quickly grew attached to his voice, there is so much emotional weight to his singing that it makes me feel like he lived a thousand years. i get pretty sad when i remember his fate, and Grace it's a quiet testimony of how much talent he had to share on the little time he spent on this earth. i always find a new favorite song when relistening to this album, i've always been a sucker for themes related to yearning, and Jeff' brings that sentimentality in a way that makes me connect deeply to, wherever is romantic or platonic.

One in a Million [Aaliyah, 1996]

favourite tracks:

1. 4 Page Letter
2. One In A Million
3. A Girl Like You

notes:

another artist that was gone too soon. Aaliyah is one of my inspirations of what i want to be as a woman, she was so cool and transmited an easy going vibe in her sound that i don't really see it alive with modern artists. She's the one that got me hooked into R&B, her songs translate that authenticity that no one else can't duplicate to this day. this album is so smooth and sexy and i listen to it whenever i need a confidence boost lol.

So Tonight That I Might See [Mazzy Star, 1993]

favourite tracks:

1. Fade Into You
2. Blue Light
3. Five String Serenade

notes:

melancholic and dreamy, Mazzy Star, in this album specially, really captures those outwordly feelings and sensations we can't really name it. the instrumentals in this one make me transcend to another dimension. 10/10

New Beginning [SWV, 1996]

favourite tracks:

1. Use Your Heart
2. You're the One
3. On & On

notes:

these girls are everything! the vocals, the beat, the lyrics! it makes me wish i was a teen back in those days.

MONOCHROME [Minako Yoshida, 1980]

favourite tracks:

1. MIDNIGHT DRIVER
2. RAINY DAY
3. MIRAGE

notes:

a gold finding! Minako's voice is a hidden gem and her harmonies are gorgeous. this album is such a good listen whilst you get cozy under some blankets and watch the rain fall outside. truly one of the best voices in the j-pop genre.

My Sweet And Free Day [IVY, 2005]

favourite tracks:

1. 오늘밤 일
2. A-Ha
3. Dawn Dawn Dawn

notes:

another underrated gem! IVY's sound is reminiscent of other pop icons like Britney Spears and Ciara, and whilst the rest of her career was focused more on ballad songs, this debut album really captures the cheeky 2000s bombshell vibe that makes me dance around my room lol please search up her performances on youtube and you won't be dissapointed by her pure charisma and stage presence!

Love Deluxe [Sade, 1992]

favourite tracks:

1. Like a Tattoo
2. Pearl
3. No Ordinary Love

notes:

soft, feminine and elegant. Sade's voice feels like melted gold in my ears and i can't get enough! Pearl made me bawl my eyes out and the sheer power in Sade's voice is something remarkable, the soul she carries in her songs is something so overwhelming it feels like i'm in a different dimension everytime i listen to her.

Who Are You? [Miki Matsubara, 1980]

favourite tracks:

1. Jazzy Night
2. Aitsu no Brown Shoes
3. Rainy Day Woman

notes:

Miki offers the best of japanese citypop, and this album realy captures the upbeat essence of the 80s!

Invincible [Michael Jackson, 2001]

favourite tracks:

1. Whatever Happens
2. Heaven Can Wait
3. 2000 Watts

notes:

Michael's most underrated album fr! such a good collection of songs, he really showcased his diverse range of vocals, intrumentals and harmonies in this album. i've been listening to it non stop for the past month and it's rapidly warming up into one of my favorite albums.

Dazed And Confused [Various Artists, 1993]

favourite tracks:

1. Hurricane [Bob Dylan]
2. Cherry Bomb [The Runaways]
3. Show Me The Way [Peter Frampton]

Before Sunset And Before Sunrise (Music From The Motion Pictures, 1995 & 2004)

favourite tracks:

1. Come Here [Kath Bloom]
2. Je t'aime tant [Julie Delpy]
3. Living Life [Kathy McCarty]

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 2019]

favourite tracks:

1. Son of a Lovin' Man [Buchanan Brothers]
2. Hush [Deep Purple]
3. Twelve Thirty [the Mamas & the Papas]

Empire Records [Various Artists, 1995]

favourite tracks:

1. A Girl Like You [Edwyn Collins]
2. Liar [The Cranberries]
3. Sugar High [Coyote Shivers]

Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 [Various Artists, 2014]

favourite tracks:

1. Come And Get Your Love [Redbone]
2. Ain't No Mountain High Enough [Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terell]
3. Escape (The Piña Colada Song) [Rupert Holmes]

A Hard Days Night [The Beatles, 1964]

favourite tracks:

1. Can't Buy Me Love
2. And I Love Her
3. Tell Me Why

Pretty In Pink [Various Artists, 1964]

favourite tracks:

1. Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want [The Smiths]
2. Round, Round [Belouis Some]
3. Wouldn't It Be Good [Danny Hutton]