The Freshman 15: 2021's Best Debut Albums
Next week, we'll release our final overall list of this year's best overall albums. But our ongoing best of 2021 coverage continues right now with a look at this year's top newcomers in music.
Above is our list of the 15 best-reviewed debut albums of 2021, ranked by Metascore. Note that albums must have at least 7 reviews—and be a full-length LP (or mixtape) rather than an EP—to be eligible for inclusion. Albums are ranked by Metascore prior to rounding based on scores as of December 14, 2021.
(#12) Star of TikTok (where her hit single "Driving License" took off) and screen (Disney's High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo can now add pop star—or perhaps pop superstar—to her growing list of accomplishments. Among other accolades, her full-length debut Sour was a Grammy nominee and People's Choice winner for album of the year as well as placing first in year-end album rankings by Billboard and Rolling Stone and besting Ariana Grande's record for the most first-week streams on Spotify for an album by a female artist.
Rodrigo, also just named Time's 2021 Entertainer of the Year, will launch her first tour in 2022, when she will also return for a third season of her Disney+ series.
“There are no filler tracks on SOUR. Each song represents a different side to Rodrigo’s artistry, embracing every influence that’s shaped her music, while still creating something fresh.” —The A.V. Club
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