We're in the final stages of 2021, and what a year it has been for the local scene. We've seen strong and bold debutants within the circuit in Carpet Golf, Blush, and nkei, to name a few. The comeback of indie-rock pioneers The Oddfellow's What's Yours and Mine, their first album drop since 1992, Houg's border-crossing collaborations, and Don Aaron's sophomore album Freedom? (made available on Game Boy cartridges) underscored a year not lacking in welcomed treasures.
Our music's seeped through where its never been before, too. THELIONCITYBOY's trailblazing link up with Singaporean football club Lion City Sailors as creative director reignited fires and excitement in our local footballing scene, using his expertise to bridge music and football together; Subsonic Eye made history as the first South-East Asian band to perform on the world-renowned radio station KEXP; similarly, in Jasmine Sokko, Linying, and Shye lighting up the billboards in New York City's Times Square, our artists have proved once more they're unstoppable forces in an scene plunged in stiffness.
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In a time where things are ever-changing, one thing stays consistent throughout - and it's the fact that music has always been a part of all our lives. That's something that will never be stripped away from us, pandemic or not. Picking your favourite releases out of the lot might sometimes feel like an insurmountable task, but you lot came through. Over the course of two weeks, you, our readers voted for the best songs, albums, and EPs that shaped your listening this year.
So without further ado, here's the Greatest Hits of 2021, as voted by Hear65's community.
Top Songs
Singaporean producer Cravism’s latest project with French vocalist Maya Diegel took listeners by storm, racking a hefty number of votes to clinch pole position, with Feez.’s collaborative track with YHB Sleepsalot ‘Under’ following suit.
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It also seemed like the travel restrictions made everyone ‘Daydream’ about a time without it, the lo-fi track by Odelia Rei voted highly alongside Shirley Ho's 'Imagine in Paris'.
The top 5 most voted for tracks of 2021 (listed in alphabetical order) are:
- Daydream - Odelia Rei
- It’s Okay - Cravism, Maya Diegel
- Imagine in Paris - Shirley Ho
- MIKE - Yung Raja
- UNDER - Feez. ft YHB Sleepsalot
Top Albums/EPs
Marian Carmel had an eventful and collaborative year, linking up with the likes of Dominic Chin, Akeem Jahat, and HOMETOWN HEROES amongst many others - but she also dropped her debut album (startlingly, with no features) to you, to me and it definitely resonated with the Hear65 community. Emerging singer-songwriter Krstya Joy ranked highly as well, fairing alongside heavy hitters for a well-rounded list.
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The soulful Dru Chen’s sophomore album Slow Life, which features an amalgamation of genres as well as collaborations with pop stalwart Gentle Bones and rising pop-artist Rangga Jones, also clinched a spot in this list, alongside HVT Entertainment's AE$OP CA$H who unveiled a banger of an EP in SWOPO.
The top 5 most voted for albums/EPs of 2021 (listed in alphabetical order) are:
- Caryatid - Cravism, Maya Diegel
- Embrace the Progress - Krysta Joy
- Slow Life - Dru Chen
- SWOPO - AE$OP CA$H
- to you, to me - Marian Carmel
There's still a long and unwinding road ahead, waiting to be filled with many more incredible releases and moments, and rest assured that Hear65 will always keep you up to date. Here's to our local scene, and an even greater year for it in 2022.
