From Lil Yachty to Olivia Rodrigo, from R&B to indie rock to Afrobeats
In 2023, must-hear albums kept piling up at an insane rate. Olivia Rodrigo proved the truth-bomb punk-pop of her 2021 Sour was no fluke. Boygenius blew first-album expectations out of the water. Lil Yachty traded in his boat for a space cruiser. Zach Bryan released an album of deeply personal songs that subverted country-bro masculinity (and still packed arenas). Underground rapper Billy Woods and beatmaker Kenny Segal teamed…