KW's Top  Albums in November

Kenmore West students have voted!  The results are in! This data has been compiled based on tallied votes from a Google Form sent to the students of West in November asking what their favorite music album of this month was. 

#10- Either/Or (Elliot Smith)

Starting up at number 10 is Either/Or by Elliot Smith. It is Smith’s third studio album following his self-titled album Elliot Smith and Roman Candle. In 2020, the album was ranked 216 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

#9- Red (Taylor’s Version) (Taylor Swift)

Our 9th placed album for this month is Red (Taylor’s Version). Red was Taylor's fourth studio album and her second re-recording on her journey to re-record her first 6 albums after her previous music manager Scooter Braun acquired and sold them after leaving Big Machine Record. The original recording of Red had been nominated for Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards, yet did not win. When Red (Taylor’s Version) came out, the album (according to Spotify) was given the title of most single-day streams for an album by a female artist. On the Billboard Charts, the re-recording reached No.1 making it Taylor's fourth No.1 album on the chart.

#8- Evermore (Taylor Swift)

Ranked at number 8, we have Evermore by Taylor Swift. Evermore is Taylor’s 9th studio album. It was a surprise album following her hit album Folklore and shocked her audience with the heartbreaking tracks. Evermore highlights Taylor's writing abilities with songs such as “Champagne Problems, “Cowboy Like Me,” and “Tolerate It.” Evermore was placed at No.1 on Billboard 200 and stayed at No.1 for 2 consecutive weeks, making it Taylor's 8th No.1 album on Billboard. Evermore was nominated for Album of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards but lost to We Are by John Batiste. 

#7- GUTS (Olivia Rodrigo)

The seventh-placed album is GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo. GUTS is Olivia's second studio album after her hit album Sour in 2021. GUTS was a drastic style change from Sour and focuses more on pop-rock-sounding tracks. GUTS reached No.1 on Billboard 200 just 15 days after its release, making it Olivia’s second No.1 album on Billboard.  “Vampire,” a hit single off the album, won the award for Best Editing at the 2023 VMAS and now has 6 Grammy nominations for the upcoming 2024 Grammy awards.

#6- SOS (SZA)

At number 6 we have SOS by SZA. SOS was released on December 9, 2022, and soon came to be a fan favorite. “Kill Bill,” a single off the album quickly gained a lot of attention and became her first No.1 song on Billboard. SOS (album) also made its way up there placing at No.1 and proceeded to break a record for being the largest streaming week for an R&B album in the US. SZA announced the SOS tour shortly after that and it was a huge success. SOS is currently nominated for the 2024 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album of the Year. 

#5- Stick Season (Noah Kahan)

Coming in at number 5 is Stick Season by Noah Kahan. Stick Season is Noah Khan's third studio album following Busy Head and I Was /I Am. The songs off Stick Season are written like you were “listening to the transcript from counseling appointments in which he and his listeners play both doctor and patient at the same time,” says Billboard in an article about the album. “Stick Season,” a single off the album, jumped to the top 5 on Billboard 200 after being at No. 100 for a bit. Kahn’s hit album allowed him to be nominated for Best New Artist in the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards.

#4- Reputation (Taylor Swift)

Following a theme of Taylor Swift, our fourth-placed album of this month is Reputation by Taylor Swift. Reputation is Taylor’s 6th studio album, and hopefully soon her 5th re-recording, on the journey to reclaim her masters. Upon releasing Reputation, the album reached No.1 on Billboard 200 and was given the title of the year's highest-selling album in 2017. Reputation was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards but lost to Ariana Grande's album Sweetener. 

#3- Folklore (Taylor Swift)

At number 3 is Folklore by Taylor Swift. Folklore is Taylor's 8th studio album and was recorded as a surprise album during the pandemic, where she built her own home studio to record the album. Folklore was at No.1 on Billboard 200 making it her seventh No.1 album on the chart. The album stayed at number one for 8 consecutive weeks. Folklore won Best-Selling Album of 2020 and proceeded to win Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. The songs on Folklore are written like stories and have their own characters. Fans have even created a love triangle following characters such as Betty, James, and August (Augustine).

#2- For All The Dogs (Drake)

Taking place at number 2 is For All the Dogs by Drake. For All the Dogs is Drake's 8th studio album. The most popular song of the album is “Slime You Out.” For All the Dogs was placed at No.1 on Billboards 200 on October 21, just 15 days after its release. According to Spotify, For All the Dogs had its eighth-biggest first-day album release in Spotify history. The album has many featuring artists such as SZA, Yeat, 21 Savage, and more. Drake just announced tour dates for the album's concert, and he will be coming to Buffalo with J. Cole on February 27th and 28th next year.

#1- 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (Taylor Swift)

The number 1 album for the month of November is none other than 1989 (Taylor’s Version). 1989 is Taylor’s 5th studio album, and her 4th re-recording. Taylor won 3 Grammys when 1989 first came out, winning Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video for “Bad Blood.” When she released the re-recording it scored the top-selling album in America for 2023 in under a week. According to Spotify, it was also the most streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far.