harpsichord’s Greatest
countdown of
The best Albums
of 2023
Published February 2024
Harpsichord’s official albums chart that counts down the 13 best albums of 2023. While mainstream success and conversations around these albums were slight factors, most of this chart is influenced by critical tastes of the zine’s staff. Since 2023 only experienced one writer at the moment– The Head Maestro of Harping– other critical choices at major publications were factored in, as well as deep cut tastes.
13
Trip9Love…???
by Tirzah
Continuity takes center stage on a record that finds an avant pop experimenter from London repeating love's lessons, with the help of one drum and piano loop.
12
Pink Friday 2
by Nicki Minaj
With big shoes to fill after naming her highly anticipated fifth studio album after her breakout debut, the superstar rapper gives us chess play from the brains of both Nicki Minaj and Onika Tanya Maraj.
11
My 21st Century Blues
by RAYE
Although she is nervous of the comparisons to another British legend, RAYE delivers one of the most vulnerable and dynamic pop&B projects from the other side of the pond that will find listeners moving along to her disturbing personal truths.
10
Love Sick
by Don Toliver
Don Toliver is very close to being a household name that can extend outside of the R&B and hip hop spaces, as this album proves that he has the capabilities of curating a distinct listening experience that elevates beyond what’s trending.
9
Red Moon In Venus
by Kali Uchis
Through a journey ruled by psychedelic soul and sophisti-pop, Kali Uchis blooms in her most dramatic, shapeshifting piece of artistry, as she’s ready to commit to the fantasy of being in love with Don Toliver.
8
Magic 3
by Nas
The legendary MC is in love with rapping so much that he managed to release six albums in three years– just in time for his, and hip hop’s, 50th birthday.
7
What I didn’t Tell You
by coco Jones
The former Disney kid star turned 20-something triple threat proves how exhilarating it can be to hear a grown woman develop a sound that’s bound to take over R&B.
6
BB/ANG3L
by Tinashe
After giving it six tries, Tinashe has finally found her form of getting straight to the point so that she doesn’t make a misstep on wax.
5
V
by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
As the band’s fifth studio album, V, scales back on what would be considered conventional surf rock, and instead fortifies the project with geographical influences and the energies of ‘60’s, 70’s and ‘80’s music to create a contemporary psychedelic classic that’s aware of its own limitations, in order to step outside those boundaries.
4
I Told Them…
by Burna Boy
Since bursting on the global scene, the self-proclaimed African Giant once again delivers a stellar LP that highlights his ups and downs of fame, and divulges what inspired him to get to this triumphant point.
3
Since I Have A Lover
by 6lack
In his first studio album in five years, 6lack offers an effort that differentiates from his trapsoul sound that raised him to prominence in the first place.
2
What’s around the corner, Vol. 2
by Joya Moi
Blending R&B-soul wit with tranquil dream pop, Johannesburg and Amsterdam’s emerging music export has completely mastered her sound.
Scarlet
by Doja Cat
You can call Doja a pop star all you want– but the rules of hip hop have changed well into the 2020s, therefore, this LP proves without a doubt that she’s the top crossover rapper in the game right now.