Lots of new music this year! 2023 was an action-packed year, full of adventures; but also a weird and moody one. This year, I felt a lot of different things (no wonder the length and variety of this list). I explored shoegaze for the first time, thanks to Alvvays' Blue Rev, and also dived into avant-pop.

Alvvays has long been special for me, ever since I first listened to Atop a Cake back in 2019 and fell in love with the song. Although I initially disliked it, Blue Rev grew on me and had a huge impact in my life: more so than any other album ever. I can't express in words what Alvvays means to me… and I watched them live this year! I also watched Soccer Mommy and Caroline Rose.

Highlights:

• Alvvays - (all of Blue Rev)
• Beach House - Holiday House
• Caroline Polachek - So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings
• Caroline Rose - Jeannie Becomes A Mom
• Charli XCX - No Angel
• Japanese Breakfast - Kokomo, IN
• Let's Eat Grandma - Hot Pink
• Luna Li - Cherry Pit
• Sam Smith, Kim Petras - Unholy
• Sylvan Esso - Die Young
• The Japanese House - Saw You in a Dream
• The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey
• TUNE-YARDS - Make It Right.
• Weyes Blood - Andromeda
• Zella Day - Man on the Moon

HUNNY is the band of the year. Even though I've known them since 2020, and they have been one of my favorite bands ever since, it wasn't until this year that they really had a consistent impact throughout the year. 2022 was the near-end of the pandemic, and thus, things changed: a new beginning, in which I rediscovered some the old music that I used to listen starting from 2016.

Highlights:

• Alvvays - Easy On Your Own?
• Beach House - Illusion of Forever
• Beach Bunny - Entropy
• Beach Bunny - Karaoke
• HUNNY - Colder Parts
• Let's Eat Grandma - Happy New Year
• MGMT - Little Dark Age
• Soccer Mommy - Shotgun

Soccer Mommy is the artist of the year. 2021 was a boring year, and I stopped using proprietary services such as Spotify and YouTube, in favor of my own personal streaming infrastructure, which made the discovery of new music and download of older music a very slow process. However, there were still some additions to my library.

Highlights:

• half·alive - What's Wrong
• HUNNY - Rebel Red
• I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME - Do It All The Time
• Snail Mail - Valentine
• Soccer Mommy - circle the drain
• Soccer Mommy - Your Dog
• Vampire Weekend - We Belong Together (feat. Danielle Haim)

Beach House is the band of the year. 2020 was the beginning of the pandemic, and yet it was also one of my best years. In late 2019, I became a massive Beach House fan, which continued throughout 2020. I stopped listening to some of the 2019 music, but got to know some more.

Highlights:

• Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?
• Beach House - Lemon Glow
• BENEE - Supalonely ft. Gus Dapperton
• Cults - Always Forever
• Dreamgirl - Bollywood
• HUNNY - Televised
• Post Malone - Circles
• Temples - Shelter Song
• Vampire Weekend - Step

Tame Impala is the band of the year. 2019 has arguably been my best year so far, as it was full of experiences, music and achievements: it was special. I discovered Tame Impala early that year, which then led me to discover even more artists and bands. Currents and Lonerism are among my favorite albums.

Spotify and YouTube would bring a huge variety to my playlists, so that artists such as Alvvays, Beach House and half·alive, would come to stay, topping the lists of the following years. Most of my favorite songs, as of 2023, are from this year.

Highlights:

• Alvvays - Atop a Cake
• Beach House - 10 Mile Stereo
• half·alive - arrow
• Japanese Breakfast - Boyish
• mxmtoon - prom dress
• No Vacation - Lovefool
• Perfume Genius - Queen
• San Cisco - Magic
• Tame Impala - Borderline (single version)

Dirty Projectors is the band of the year. They were one of the bands I discovered with Gnoosic in 2017, but it wasn't until 2018 that I really gave them a chance, and their style took me some time to get used to, but once it grew inside me, it defined yet another era in my life. Gnoosic later led me to discover even more artists and bands, then YouTube and Spotify continued the job.

Highlights:

• CHILDCARE - Kiss?
• Crumb - Bones
• Dirty Projectors - Temecula Sunrise
• Dirty Projectors - That's A Lifestyle
• Phum Viphurit - Lover Boy
• Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
• The Marías - I Don't Know You
• Tune-Yards - ABC 123

Hundred Waters is the band of the year. I discovered them, again, thanks to Skrillex. He made a remix of Show Me Love, which became one my favorite songs in 2016. Hundred Waters marked the beginning of a new era in my life. As of 2023, The Moon Rang Like A Bell remains my #1 favorite album.

In 2017, I also discovered a lot of artists, such as St. Vincent and Tune-Yards, thanks to a website called Gnoosic. And Miss Li, because the iPod Nano 5G commercial featured one of her songs.

Highlights:

• Café Tacvba - Las flores
• Chase & Status - This Moment (with Blossoms)
• Don McLean - American Pie
• Hundred Waters - Murmurs
• Hundred Waters - Particle
• Miss Li - Gotta Leave My Troubles Behind
• St. Vincent - Cruel
• tUnE-yArDs - Bizness

Chase & Status is the band of the year. I discovered them because Skrillex made a remix of one of their songs (International). That's also how I discovered Foreign Beggars. Jack Ü is, of course, Skrillex and Diplo. Jack Ü and Marshmello would also have a huge impact this year.

Highlights:

• Chase & Status - All Goes Wrong (feat. Tom Grennan)
• Chase & Status - Blk & Blu (featuring Ed Thomas)
• Hundred Waters - Show Me Love - Skrillex remix
• Jack Ü - Febreze (feat. 2 Chainz)
• Marshmello - Ritual (ft. Wrabbel)
• Skrillex - Pretty Bye Bye (ft. NJOMZA)

Skrillex is the artist of the year. I used to listen dubstep a lot in 2015, even before discovering him. His music changed it all for me: it was pivotal in my life. Skrillex led me to discover a lot of the music that would define the following years.

Rukkus is the artist of the year. Back then, I played Geometry Dash, a mobile game in which many levels used their electronic music as soundtrack. Same with Waterflame.

aivi & surasshu is the band of the year. They produced scores for Steven Universe, my favorite show back then. Their music made up most of my music collection.