{"id":270,"date":"2026-06-05T16:10:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T16:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationacrossamerica.com\/?p=270"},"modified":"2026-06-05T16:10:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T16:10:37","slug":"the-best-albums-of-the-year-so-far-music-to-stop-the-doomscrolling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationacrossamerica.com\/?p=270","title":{"rendered":"The best albums of the year (so far): Music to stop the doomscrolling"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

You, dear Salon reader, are discerning and responsible, ready to face the reality of the world we\u2019re living in, for better or for worse. Unfortunately, that may result in feelings of anger, frustration, anxiety or hopelessness. It\u2019s an unfortunate byproduct of caring deeply.<\/p>\n

Read more Christianity is profoundly queer<\/a><\/p>\n

This is precisely why we turn to art, which probes both truth and beauty: the enemies of doomscrolling. Music is perhaps the purest of these art forms, tapping into our lizard brains to regulate our emotions that are seeking to make sense of this precious yet maddening existence.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why your Salon writers and editors have gathered the best albums of the year (so far), all the better to soothe you with. A great song offers pleasure, but a great album \u2013 no skips \u2013 is a doorway. On the other side lies transformation. Sound possesses power, whether you\u2019ll be weary from dancing or blissed out from the frequencies massaging your nerves.<\/p>\n

So crank up the Victrola, press play on Spotify and nestle into your headphones. These albums will keep you energized to thrive another day.<\/p>\n

Albums are listed alphabetically by title.<\/em><\/p>\n

I did not have \u201cfinally become a fan of the biggest K-pop group in the world\u201d on my 2026 bingo card, but here we are.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From its title \u201cArirang\u201d (referencing a centuries-old Korean folk tune \/ resistance anthem) to its head-scratching track \u201cNo. 29\u201d (featuring one, long reverberating toll of a 1,300-year-old Buddhist bell) BTS\u2019 comeback album plants its feet firmly in Korean heritage. But it\u2019s an identity as defined by seven modern musicians who had already enjoyed global success, becoming the No. 1 artists in the world early in the pandemic, before going their separate ways to pursue solo work and later enter mandatory military service.<\/span><\/p>\n

RM commands, \u201cI need the whole stadium to jump,\u201d in the album\u2019s banger opening track \u201cBody to Body\u201d that also weaves in a sample of the aforementioned folk song with traditional drum elements at the bridge, coalescing into a declaration of identity that is loud, clear and fiendishly danceable. Four more attitude-driven hip-hop tracks follow: the defiant \u201cHooligan,\u201d the Hallyu callout \u201cAliens,\u201d the cheeky and industrial \u201cFYA\u201d and then \u201c2.0,\u201d a reclamation of their supremacy in a new era . . . accompanied by a music video featuring an homage to Park Chan-wook\u2019s \u201cOldboy\u201d hallway scene.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n