'Aaliyah' - Aaliyah
Undoubtedly, my favorite album of all time (if you can't tell by my avi), and arguably the most daring R&B album of the 2000s. At the age of just 22, 'Aaliyah' came out during a time when neo-soul was taking off, and pop music was blaring on the radios. Critics fell in love with it immediately, calling it a 'staggering declaration of independence', while fans were slightly put off by the advancements in sounds and genres. Wanting to work with Nine Inch Nails but failing to make their schedules work, Aaliyah fused rock, latin, drum and bass, and neo-soul all into her signature sound. Every lyric means something, every vocal is perfectly executed, and every harmony melts like butter. Almost every R&B musician out today can owe this album just a little bit of their sound. Solange, Kelela - that whole alternative R&B wave, Aaliyah had already explored that. Truly, a masterpiece. It pains me that as amazing as this album is, we'll never know just how far she would have pushed the genre forward today, as she passed away just four weeks after the album was released. She never got to reap the reward of her hard work.
'III' - Moderat
Released in 2016, I was truly late to the party into discovering Moderat, thanks to 'How To Get Away With Murder'. After hearing 'Intruder' played during an episode, I went into a deep dive in their catalogue. 'III' is absolutely magnificent. Each electronic instrument radiates with soul, each manipulated vocal adds to the distortion. This album truly became my favorite album to listen to during long travels - especially plane rides. The sonics just inspire me to appreciate life, and to truly, go after my dreams. It crushes me that they went on an indefinite hiatus 2 years ago.
'ANTI' - Rihanna
If this isn't the best mainstream R&B album of the decade, I don't know what is. Being a huge Rihanna fan all the way back in the day when I was little, and 'SOS' was all over the radio, this album - despite all of the negligence in promoting it correctly - is truly a staple in Rihanna's career. You can tell she poured her heart and soul into this record to craft something that was accessible, yet a bit foreign. The album shouldn't work the way it does. The album shouldn't flow the way it does. Though she had majority of her own creative control since 'Good Girl Gone Bad', this album truly marked the first time that she was able to call the shots in each and every way. It is truly, no doubt, one of the best albums of this generation, hands down. A classic.
