Best of 2021
Music, movies, shows, books, and articles
2021 was a great year for music. Here are my favorite songs and albums, along with my favorite movies, shows, books, and even a few stories I want to highlight.
Albums
10. Laura Mvula - Pink Noise
9. Julia Stone - Sixty Summers
8. Porter Robinson - Nurture
7. Sara Kays - Struck By Lightning
6. Gracie Abrams - This Is What It Feels Like
5. The Maine - Anxiety In Real Time
4. Big Red Machine - How Long Do You Think It Lasts?
3. The Marias - Cinema
2. The Light House And The Whaler - Talk
1. Griff - One Foot In Front Of The Other
Songs
These are 10 of my favorite songs from the year in no particular order. These are far from the only songs I really liked though. I made a playlist with my top 40 songs if you’re curious about more selections.
Wild Pink - “Ohio”
The Marias - “Little By Little”
Griff - “One Foot In Front Of The Other”
The Maine - “Dirty, Pretty, Beautiful”
Bartees Strange - “Weights”
The Lighthouse and The Whaler - “These Are The Days”
Olivia Rodrigo - “Deja Vu”
Jose Gonzalez - “El Invento”
James Vincent McMorrow - “Paradise”
Sun June - “Bad With Time”
TV Shows
These shows are in my preferred order. I really liked the balance of suspense and comedy in Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building. I’m glad the second season is already being filmed. I thought the second season of For All Mankind had a much better pace and overall arc than the first one. Plus, how could you not be excited about a third season of the show with Mars set in the ‘90s?
5. WandaVision
4. Loki
3. Ted Lasso
2. For All Mankind
1. Only Murders In The Building
Movies
I knew (or hoped) King Richard would be good based on the trailer, but it really delivered. I’m pretty much over superhero movies, but Black Window felt different and refreshing. And, the only thing disappointing about Dune is that it ends where it does.
5. Black Widow
4. CODA
3. No Time To Die
2. Dune
1. King Richard
Books
These are all great books, but some are very different from each other. It was no contest that Project Hail Mary was my favorite. The tone, style, and pace of the storytelling were all great. Even more, the story itself felt satisfying from start to finish.
5. The View Was Exhausting
4. Constance
3. Great Circle
2. People We Meet On Vacation
1. Project Hail Mary
Articles
Here are a few stories I wrote this year that I think are notable. Please click through and maybe even share them?
How Pandora Won Its Royalty Battle But Lost the War to Spotify @ Vice
Designing NBA Top Shot Moments: How These 6-Figure NFTs Got Their Look @ PCMag
Apple Music Spatial Audio Is the Future of Music, Finally @ Newsweek
The Art of Using Running to Combat Pain @ Meter Magazine
