Five Chill Albums You NEED To Listen To This Summer

Even in the UK it’s heating up now… meaning that albums to relax and listen to in the sun will hit different.

Below is a list of albums we’ve compiled that are perfect for the season, and are sure to add to the summer feeling we have been craving.

Not Waving, But Drowning – Loyle Carner

Loyle Carner indefinitely has one of the most naturally relaxing voices in hip-hop, this voice mixed with jazzy production makes for an album that matches the summer mood perfectly, as well as also working for an emotional tape which people of all ages can relate to. This album is cohesive and is filled with back to back memorable bangers that work as relaxing bops, with plenty of replay value with hooks that you can bellow out with your friends on these nights. Familiar faces from Loyle’s previous efforts return such as Tom Misch and Rebel Kleff, as well as new voices being added to the mix such as Jorja Smith and Jordan Rakei. NWBD stands out overall as there is emotionally impactful elements of the music being embedded into the music as well as the immaculate summer mood it portrays.

Favourite 3 songs: Ice Water, Ottolenghi, Loose Ends

East Atlanta Love Letter – 6LACK

A lot of people may have become familiar with 6LACK through his wildly successful hit with Lil Tjay ‘Calling my phone’, however this album and his debut tape FREE 6LACK exemplify that he is much more than that. One thing harder than these albums was deciding which one to put on the list, but the more expressive nature of EALL edges it. 6LACK has one of the most recognisable voices in R&B and Hip Hop, and he infuses the two so flawlessly, as well as displaying his versatility, backed up by his varying feature list, ranging from Offset and Future to J.Cole and Khalid. The tracks range from slow and soulful cuts such as Sorry and Disconnect, contrasting the more bouncy, upbeat songs such as Let Her Go and Balenciaga Challenge. Despite the differences in these songs, they all hold up a fresh sounding summer sound that will work perfectly for summer evenings.

Favourite 3 songs: Loaded Gun, Let Her Go, Sorry

Malibu – Anderson .Paak

Much like 6LACK, a fair few people would have had their first interaction with Anderson .Paak through ‘Leave the Door Open’ which is the outstanding new collab with Bruno Mars, released along with the announcement of a joint album named ‘An evening with Silk Sonic’. However, Andy has been making waves for several years now, signing to Dr Dre’s Aftermath entertainment, as well as contributing several times to Dre’s 2015 effort ‘Compton’ as well as releasing Venice, an album of his own put out in the same year. However, the album that is widely believed to have propelled Anderson to stardom was his top quality album Malibu, released in 2016. From the first viewing of the vibrant cover art, the listener is zapped into the world that is portrayed on the front cover. In simple terms, it feels like you are in Malibu when listening to the album, and with little audio clips about Malibu being laced within the track list. Malibu has to be on this list.

This is by far the most expressive album on the list, and to say Anderson .Paaks vocal range is insane would be an understatement. This is one of the grooviest albums released in the past decade, and Paak shows his ability of a singer and a rapper. Malibu has a song for everyone, whether its Jazz-rap infusions such as Heart Don’t stand a chance and Without You, or crazily expressive bangers consisting of Put me Thru and Come Down. If ‘Barbeque Music’ could be defined in an album, it would be this one.

Favourite 3 songs: The Waters, Put me Thru, Come Down

EVERYTHING – KOTA the Friend

Its hard defining KOTA the Friend, he’s as indie as you can go in terms of a rapper, delivering mellow bars with silky production that can only be defined as effortless. No matter what KOTA is performing on, he always sounds in his element, and his voice is just natural.

EVERYTHING serves as a reflection on KOTA’s life, with every song being smoothered with summery production, with the moods tackled ranging from heartfelt to cheerful, with KOTA displaying himself as far more level headed and mature than most artists, giving him the reputation of being a great role model for younger listeners, and even elders, as he brings his son on to the song ‘Everything’ for a cute father son singing session which you can’t help but smile at. For the other features however, starstudded isn’t the word… Joey Badass, Bas, Tobi Lou and KYLE make appearances, as well as frequent collaborators such as Hello O’Shay and Braxton Cook.

I personally first listened to this album in the first lockdown, in my back garden with the sun shining. It’s a day I won’t forget.

Favourite 3 songs: Summerhouse, B.Q.E, Long Beach

Flowerboy – Tyler, the Creator

Flowerboy is an album that doesn’t need any introduction at this point, since its release year it has been recognised as a cultural phenomenon as well as a stylistic 180 for Tyler, given the aggressive nature of his previous work.

Flowerboy however is the complete opposite, it is timeless, elegant and holds a deeper meaning behind the tone and lyricism that die hard fans can digest at their own will, the album is made even more appealing because of this, as it allows the listener to digest the album in the way that they please, if you are looking for a wholesome, introspective album, then Flowerboy is for you. If you are looking for a beautifully produced album which takes you into the world it portrays on the front cover, with bright sunshines and blooming flowers, then Flowerboy is for you. Tyler won the hearts of millions of people, as well as many of his doubters, and with the album being as good as it is, it’s not hard to see why.

Favourite 3 songs: Where this Flower Blooms, See you again, November