2023 has been an incredible year for music. If you're reading this email, you're probably the kind of person who loves to keep up on all the newest releases, but even the most avid music fan will miss a great album here and there. So we've decided to spend the next few weeks looking back at some of our favourite albums of the year, week-by-week and genre-by-genre. Here we go!
Tyler Hubbard – "Tyler Hubbard"
With 21 No.1 singles on country radio, countless awards, and sold-out tours, Tyler Hubbard has already had a remarkable career as a songwriter and as one half of multi-platinum duo Florida Georgia Line. Now that he’s stepped on his own, his solo career is reaching new heights with the release of debut solo album, Tyler Hubbard. Tyler wrote or co-wrote every song on the 18-track album, which he co-produced alongside Jordan Schmidt (Morgan Wallen, Kane Brown, Blake Shelton). Tyler Hubbard features the Platinum-Certified hit single, “5 Foot 9,” and fan favourites like “Dancin’ In The Country” and “Small Town Me.”
Chris Stapleton – "Higher"
Just a few weeks ago, Chris Stapleton released “Higher”—a last-minute contender for country album of the year that was immediately met with widespread critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Billboard, and beyond. Higher was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A and co-produced by Chris himself, his wife Morgane Stapleton and long-time collaborator Dave Cobb. This album features some of Chris’ most impactful vocals and songwriting, proving that the record-breaking artist is still at the top of his game. “Higher” closes out another landmark year for Chris, who was recently named Male Vocalist of the Year for the seventh time at the 57th Annual CMA Awards, breaking his own record for most wins ever in the category.
Shania Twain "Queen Of Me"
Queen of Me has all the makings of another Shania classic. It’s confident, it’s catchy, and it’s compelling from beginning to end. Most of all, it’s powered by the kind of anthems that transformed her into a multi-generational icon. The record is a limitless expression of pop and shimmers as the most upbeat, playful, and joyous project in her discography. Sonically, “Queen of Me” pulls from '70s and '80s funk and rock—just like the sounds she grew up with and the classic artists she sees as her heroes. These 12 tracks are a bold departure from the past and a strident step into an ever-improving future of this Canadian superstar.
Morgan Wallen - "One Thing At A Time"
Most artists have to choose between quality and quantity, but Morgan Wallen’s 36-song, chart-topping album “One Thing At A Time” is proof that he—and maybe him alone—can do both. The deeply personal album combines all of Wallen’s musical influences, running the gambit in both sound and subject—from The Allman Brothers interpolation on “Everything I Love” to the Young Thug interpolation on “180 (Lifestyle).” The album features unforgettable collaborations with Eric Church on “Man Made A Bar,” HARDY on “In The Bible” and ERNEST on “Cowgirls.” And at the heart of it all is a connection to his roots, hammered home by an album cover shot on his Mamaw's front porch and a little help from his sister Ashlyne Wallen who sings harmony on “Outlook.”
