Matt's Books and Music

[This post is part of a large project in which I am going through the popular music released in each year. Please see the note at the bottom of the post re: omissions and limitations.]

Introduction

After a 2018 without a lot of standout music from massive artists, 2019 was a return to form, with big releases from Beyoncé, Lana Del Rey, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift, along with successful projects from other established artists like Fitz & the Tantrums, Tegan and Sara, and MARINA. But it also had some exciting new artists break through too in the likes of Maggie Rogers (who made a HUGE splash on my end-of-year lists), Lil Nas X, mxmtoon, and Billie Eilish’s first full album. All in all, it was a strong year, if a little unexpected.

Top 10 Albums

1. Lover (Taylor Swift): One of the strangest things about Taylor Swift as an artist is that, despite being a consummate businesswoman, she often makes very strange choices for her pre-release and lead singles. Lover was the greatest case in point of this phenomenon, with “Me” and “You Need to Calm Down” being the first tastes of the album we got, and being among the most reviled songs in her entire discography. But they can’t take away from what is otherwise a stellar album about love in all its many forms.
2. Heard It in a Past Life (Maggie Rogers): This debut album from singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers has such a wonderful and unique musical point-of-view. It’s telling that at least as of 2026, this is her least commercial-sounding but most commercially-successful album. I adore it, and it placed ten songs on my year-end playlist, including fully half of the top ten.
3. Normal Fucking Rockwell (Lana Del Rey): This is luscious-sounding album that works for me from almost top to bottom, despite having no huge hits (for me). Stand-outs include “How to disappear,” “Doin’ Time,” and “Mariners Apartment Complex.”
4. GIRL (Maren Morris): My favourite album from this artist to date, this is good, fun country music, with a punchy feminist energy. Highlights for me are “Make Out with Me,” “Flavor,” and “The Bones.”
5. My Name Is Michael Holbrook (MIKA): MIKA’s music is often just a little too quirky for me to love, but led by personal favourites “Tomorrow,” and “Platform Ballerinas,” overall I really liked this album.
6. MAYBE (Valley): While only one song from this album by Toronto group Valley made my end-of-year playlist, it’s a strong pop album that boded well for their future.
7. Love + Fear (MARINA): There’s a general feeling that the artist formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds dropped off a cliff after her first two albums. While I definitely think they are her strongest, I’ve enjoyed most of what she’s put out. My highlights from this album as “You” and “Karma.”
8. Hey, I’m Just Like You (Tegan and Sara): This album of re-recordings of the Canadian duo’s previously unreleased music brought them back to their earlier alternative rock sound. It’s a fun throwback, especially “I’ll Be Back Someday,” which sounds like the Tegan and Sara I remember from the early ‘00s.
9. the masquerade (mxmtoon): The most notable thing about this album is the contrast between its often sad lyrics and ukulele-driven bubblegum pop sounds. “prom dress” was a viral sensation for good reason, but “seasonal depression” also made my year-end playlist.
10. All the Feels (Fitz and the Tantrums): Fitz and the Tantrums is one of those bands that is never at the top of my lists, but always makes their mark on them. The title track is, I think, the clear standout on this album.

Other Albums of Note

• Cuz I Love You (Lizzo): This album lacked the smash hits of some of her earlier work, but is for my money the strongest overall.
• Pony (Orville Peck): Orville Peck’s vintage country sounds always go down smoothly, and this album features standouts “Turn to Hate” and “Roses Are Falling.”
• WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (Billie Eilish): After her breakout EP from 2017, this was Eilish’s first full release, and led by hits “my strange addiction, “bad guy,” and “wish you were gay,” it absolutely delivered.

Top 10 Songs

1. “Cruel Summer” (Taylor Swift): How good was this song? Unreleased as a single, it nonetheless made it to the top of the charts, four years after its release. (Favourite lyric: “I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you”)
2. “Say It” (Maggie Rogers): The spare, haunting production on this song only highlights its beauty and feeling. (Favourite lyric: “And every evening, every time I keep replaying in my mind / And wondering if you do the same.”)
3. “Light On” (Maggie Rogers): There are a lot of songs about the contradictory feelings involved in sudden fame, but few are as generous as this. (Favourite lyric: “And if you leave the light on / Then I’ll leave the light on”)
4. “There’s Still a Light in the House” (Valley): The pop production on this track is impeccable and it got me through a lot of walking commutes in those frightening first month of 2020. (Favourite lyric: “There’s a million ways to pass the day on a concrete island”)
5. “Back in My Body” (Maggie Rogers): This song is a defiant celebration of the self that will resonate with anyone who has lost themself at one point or another. (Favourite lyric: “I was stopped in London when I felt it coming down / Crashing all around me with a great triumphant sound / Like the dam was breaking and my mind came rushing in/ I was stopped in London, oh, I was awakening”)
6. ”Alaska” (Maggie Rogers): The song that started it all for Maggie Rogers, breaking out after a clip of Pharrell Williams praising it in a NYU masterclass went viral. It’s indie pop at its best. (Favourite lyric: “And I walked off you / And I walked off an old me”
7. “Juice” (Lizzo): It’s fascinating who is able to get away with being hyper-sexual in their lyrics and who isn’t. But few do it more consistently, or better, than Lizzo. (Favourite lyric: “Mirror mirror on the wall / don’t say it cos I know I’m cute”)
8. “Fallingwater” (Maggie Rogers): I’ve run out of things to say about this album, but it’s very very good. (Favourite lyric: “I never loved you fully in the way I could / I fought the current running just the way you would”)
9. “Cornelia Street” (Taylor Swift): There are any number of songs from Lover that could fill these last two spots depending on the day. At the time of making this list, “Cornelia Street” took this spot because of its combination of vulnerable lyrics and unbeatable pop production. (Favourite lyric: “And baby I get mystified how this city screams your name”)
10. “Death by a Thousand Cuts” (Taylor Swift): I don’t know a song that captures just how deeply connected the places and things we love are with the people with whom we experience them. (Favourite lyric: “My time, my wine, my spirit, my trust / Trying to find a part of me you didn’t take up”)

Other Songs of Note

• “Sound of Your Voice” (Griff): If you haven’t heard this song, do yourself a favour and fix that immediately.
• “Clean Eyes” (SYML): This is the song that put SYML on the map for me.
• “Moderation” (Florence + the Machine): This song puts Florence’s voice to great use.

Most Surprising Inclusion

• “Rabbit Hole” (Jenny Lewis): I put this song here because whenever I listen to my 2019 playlist, even I’m surprised that it’s there. But it deserves the spot.

Notable Song that Missed the Cut

• “Sunflower” (Post Malone and Swae Lee): This massive just wasn’t for me.

[Note: It’s of course impossible to listen to everything, so while I’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible, omissions are inevitable. For consistency’s sake, I’ve gone with the year music was released, rather than when it became popular. Any ratings or rankings are my own and entirely subjective. This has nothing to do with objective quality but is simply reflective of my personal taste.]