What your favourite album of 2021 says about you

You know the drill by now. Last year I told you what your favourite album of 2020 said about you (you can read that one here) and now it’s time for the 2021 version.

2021 has been slightly more of a year than 2020, at least in the UK, and by the end of the year we were left with a spread of albums which made for a busy year if not a banner one.

As ever, if your favourite album isn’t on here then (a) I probably just forgot and (b) pick a different one based on which of the below descriptions fits you best.

And remember, it’s not an assessment of the album. It’s an assessment of you, the person who loves it (and, most likely, me as well).

Adele — 30

You are writing a screenplay set in Shoreditch House

Arlo Parks — Collapsed In Sunbeams

You have a favourite branch of Nandine

Billie Eilish — Happier Than Ever

You thought Green Room was part of the Three Colours trilogy

Black Country, New Road — For the First Time

Sometimes you’ll go to a park in zone 3 on the off-chance people gather for a rave around you

Black Midi — Cavalcade

You own a Black Card for an establishment that doesn’t serve food

Bleachers — Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night

Your favourite genre of film is ‘Set in Manhattan’

Cassandra Jenkins — An Overview on Phenomenal Nature

Your favourite novel is David Foster Wallace’s Roger Federer Essay

Chvrches — Screen Violence

Your favourite bar has an entire labyrinth in it

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah — New Fragility

You talk about the actors from Skins like they’re your actual children

Dave — We’re All Alone in This Together

You own a bootleg band t-shirt with a footballer’s name on it

Drake — Certified Lover Boy

You have your own music as the top track on your Tinder profile

Fightmilk — Contender

You have ranked preparations of eggs for content

Ghetts — Conflict of Interest

You want to become famous enough for a magazine profile but not famous enough for a biopic

H.E.R. — Back of My Mind

You cut off a friend for insisting on putting parmesan on seafood pasta

The Hold Steady — Open Door Policy

Your favourite bar closed permanently during lockdown but somehow looks better now

Japanese Breakfast — Jubilee

You bought the Bob Marley Ajax shirt so you could wear it to a music festival

Jazmine Sullivan — Heaux Tales

Congratulations, you’re in the clear with this one

Jeff Rosenstock — Ska Dream

You bought a Pez dispenser in 2021

Julien Baker — Little Obilvions

You bought a Pez dispenser in 2021 for Vitamin D tablets

Kacey Musgraves — Star Crossed

You have written an unpublished essay about the Cruel Intentions soundtrack

Kanye West — Donda

You’re the reason Joe Rogan added that extra tier to his Patreon

The Killers — Pressure Machine

You started boxing training because you’d found the perfect walk-on music

Lana Del Rey — Blue Bannisters

You regret getting expelled from boarding school

Lana Del Rey — Chemtrails Over the Country Club

You regret not getting expelled from boarding school

Laura Stevenson — Laura Stevenson

You stopped watching BoJack Horseman with two episodes left in the final season

Lil Nas X — Montero

You can’t go fully vegan because your favourite cocktail has a bacon bits garnish

Little Simz — Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Whenever you hear about a new actor you check to see if their parents have clickable Wikipedia pages

Lorde — Solar Power

You use the phrase ‘developed a tolerance’ more than anyone should beyond the age of 25

Lucy Dacus — Home Video

You have judged someone for their favourite flavour of sparkling water

Manchester Orchestra — The Million Masks of God

You tweeted your performative dislike of Ted Lasso and privately cried at the Christmas episode

Me Rex — Megabear

You tried watching Memento and Tenet at the same time on different screens

Olivia Rodrigo — Sour

You have google alerts set up for the real people fictionalised in The Bling Ring

Origami Angel — Gami Gang

You looked into opening a pop-up only serving vegan nuggets. It was going to be called ‘QuoЯn’

Rostam — From the Back of a Cab

You’ve used the phrase ‘liminal space’ too many times to admit you don’t actually know what it means

Self Esteem — Prioritise Pleasure

You made an ‘ironically detached’ contribution to gifted child discourse but were being sincere

Snail Mail — Valentine

You made an ‘sincere’ contribution to gifted child discourse but were being ironically detached

St Vincent — Daddy’s Home

You have defended the gentrification of Elephant & Castle at a house party

Taylor Swift — Red (Taylor’s Version)

You have recorded a podcast pilot about philosophical interpretations of Sarah Michelle Gellar projects

Turnstile — Glow On

You had a Green Day song for the first dance at your wedding

Tyler, The Creator — Call Me If You Get Lost

You have complained to friends about missing the coffee at the Ace Hotel

Vince Staples — Vince Staples

You spent your last holiday exclusively eating Korean food at strip malls

The War on Drugs — I Don’t Live Here Anymore

You miss the Wednesday night at Glastonbury but not the actual festival

Wild Pink — A Billion Little Lights

You have a favourite boba tea spot but your answer varies by season

Wolf Alice — Blue Weekend

You have a room in your house which contains the Noma cookbook but no shelves