The 40 Best Albums of 2021
Above is Metacritic's list of the 40 best-reviewed albums of 2021, ranked by Metascore. This list only includes new albums receiving at least 15 reviews from professional critics (though you'll find a quick list of the top albums with a smaller number of reviews at the end of the gallery.)
Otherwise, all full-length studio albums (or mixtapes) released between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 are eligible, though reissues, live albums, box sets and other compilations are excluded. (Those excluded titles, too, are included in a separate list at the end of the gallery.) Albums are ranked by Metascore prior to rounding based on scores as of December 21, 2021.
(#8) Though it only finished in 8th place in our ranking of 2021 releases by Metascore—and didn't score quite as highly as her previous release, Grey Area—the fourth LP from British rapper Little Simz has, if anything, only gotten better upon repeat listens since its first release in early September: It's now the year's #1 album in our compilation of year-end critic top 10 lists (and it's not even close).
“Her magnificent fourth album demonstrates that she is one of the best rappers in the world, period.” —The Telegraph
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