My Favorite Albums of 2017
By: Connor Graham
Here are 12Â of the best albums of 2017, so far, and this is just my opinion. Â This was a hard list to create due to all the great music that has come out this year, and I cut out a lot of good albums. Â Enjoy!
12. Â blkswn by Smino
This was the debut album for Smino. Â He has amazing flows, hooks, and overall vocals on this album. Â He is certainly a great rapper and artist. Â The beats on this album sound so crisp and original, it should be recognized and appreciated.
11. All-Amerikkkan Bada$$
by Joey Bada$$
This album was very politically and socially aware. Â Joey's lyrics and performances were brutally honest, and the producers on here are all great. Â The features were all very good, too. Â J. Cole's feature was the best, in my opinion. Â My favorite song from this album would have to be either Temptation or Legendary. Â Amerikkan Idol is also extremely good.
10. Big Fish Theory by Vince Staples
This album was super experimental with it's production and it has a different futuristic kind of theme to it. Â There are some pretty great features on it, and most of Vince Staples' performances are still sounding good to me. Â My favorite songs are Big Fish and Yeah Right.
9. Good For You by Amine
Amine is a multi-talented rapper, so you hear lots of different kinds of songs on this album.  I thought most of this album was pretty good considering it was his debut, and the production was great for the most part.  The features all sound pretty good, but there weren't that many features, which is a good  thing.
8. Â Ctrl by SZA
This album has all of SZA's best work to date. Â There are amazing instrumentals on songs like Love Galore, Drew Barrymore, Go Gina, and Broken Clocks. Â The lyrics are very self aware and personal, and SZA's vocals are crazy good. Â But the album does have some songs that are just decent, so it isn't higher on this list. Â My favorite songs on this album are Doves in the Wind, Go Gina, and Broken Clocks.
7. American Teen by Khalid
Khalid is a very new R&B singer from Texas that blew up very quickly, for good reason. Â His debut, American Teen, is such a relatable album, and the singles off of it like Location and Young, Dumb & Broke are super good. Â Khalid has such a great voice and has unique song writing that really make him stand out. Â This album does have some songs that are too pop influenced, or just don't sound all that great. Â But it does come out as a solid record. Â My favorite songs are Young Dumb & Broke, Location, Saved, and Shot Down.
6. Â Mura Masa (Self-Titled)
This album surprised me. Â I didn't think Mura Masa would be able to pull off an album that would sound great, for the most part, but he did it. Â The artists he chose to work with are all great, except I didn't get the Desiigner or Christine and the Queens features but it's fine. Â He is a great producer and the instrumentals he creates are all original and innovative. Â Some of this album gets boring, but there's more good than bad. Â My favorite songs are Love$ick, What If I Go?, and helpline.
5. Â Mister Mellow by Washed Out
This was another album that surprised me, and had very experimental production. Â There are so many sounds in the instrumentals, it's mesmerizing hearing each song because of all the sounds that come together. Â I love the vocals and concept of this album, and the videos for all the songs are super cool and fun to watch. Â My favorite songs are Burn Out Blues, Floating By, Instant Calm, and Million Miles Away.
4. Â 4:44 by Jay-Z
This album is already being considered Jay-Z's most mature album and his best album, so of course it'll be one of the best albums of this year. Â The production by No ID is super old school and Jay-Z has some of his most personal and deep songs to date on here. Â He touches on his mother's lesbian sexuality, racism, business, and his own adultery. Â This album is very important to listen to. Â My favorite songs are The Story of OJ, Smile, and 4:44.
3. Â Flower BoyÂ
by Tyler, the Creator
Flower Boy is Tyler's best album. Â He is sincere, he talks about his sexuality, he talks about love, cars, and aspects of life. Â This album has amazing production, all done by Tyler. Â He raps better than before with lyrics that have amazing wordplay, subliminal meaning, and references. Â On Flower Boy, Tyler is at the top of his game. Â My favorite songs are Foreword, Who Dat Boy, and 911/ Mr. Lonely. Â November is also an amazing song.
2. Â DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar
This is the most hyped and talked about album of this year. Â But even though it was very commercial, and very hyped up, it's quite the amazing album. Â Kendrick Lamar has essentially fused together the sounds of good kid, m.A.A.d city and To Pimp A Butterfly onto this album, and he created some new sounds, too. Â He had some legendary producers work on this album with him, and it's hosted by Kid Capri. Â Some of his best hooks and verses are on here, and some of his best songs. Â He broke records, and this album has gone double platinum. Â How much better can Kendrick get? Â I love this album a lot, and I got to listen to it on the beach for my first listen, which gave me a good memory with it. Â My favorite songs are YAH, ELEMENT, and XXX.
1. Â Saturation by BROCKHAMPTON
Yes, I think this is the best album of the year, so far. Â Maybe Saturation 2 will take it's place for best album of the whole year, but right now it's place is pretty solidified. Â Where do I begin with how great this album is? Â The group's chemistry is phenomenal, the flows are extremely diverse, all members bring their own styles, the production is crazy amazing, the hooks are very well done, and the concepts, for the most part, are very relatable and easy to understand. Â This album gets better and better with each listen, and I listen to it all the time. Â BROCKHAMPTON really knows what they're doing. Â My favorite songs are Heat, Star, and Face.