2019 in Music: Mid-Year Review

Man, has 2019 been an odd musical journey for me so f. Artists that I had long written off (Whitechapel, Children of Bodom, Born of Osiris),have put out records that rank among the best of their careers, favorites of mine ended long-standing hot streaks by releasing underwhelming projects  (Fallujah, Future, ScHoolboy Q) and Billy Ray "Achy Breaky Heart" Cyrus is a featured artist on a smash hit country rap song that I am somehow still delighted by despite its insane overexposure. Things have gotten slightly more normal over the past couple months with acts like Allegeaon, Denzel Curry and Thank You Scientist continuing to build upon the excellence they've displayed in recent years with superb new releases, but there's still been enough oddity abound to not completely disrupt that underlying weirdness. While I wait to see whether or not this sense of strangeness develops into a year-long trend, here's a full list of every LP and EP I've heard so far in 2019 ranked from worst to best (w/grades and favorite tracks) as well as a handful of mid-year superlatives. Enjoy!  

EP's:
5.Drake-The Best in the World Pack (C) (Favorite Track: "Money in the Grave")
4.Future-Save Me (C+) (Favorite Track: "Government Official")
3.Lil Nas X-7 (B) (Favorite Track: "Rodeo")
2.Kevin Abstract-ARIZONA baby (B) (Favorite Track: "Joyride") 
1.$ucideboy$ and Travis Barker-LIVE FAST DIE WHENEVER (B) (Favorite Track: "nothingleftnothingleft")

LP's:
39.ScHoolboy Q-CrasH Talk (D+) (Favorite Track: "Floating")
38.Yelawolf-Trunk Muzik 3 (C) (Favorite Track: "Trunk Muzik Intro")
37.PUP-Morbid Stuff (C) (Favorite Track: "Kids")
36.Pile-Green and Gray (C) (Favorite Track: "On a Bigger Screen")
35.Sharon Van Etten-Remind Me Tomorrow (C+) (Favorite Track: "Seventeen")
34.Vampire Weekend-Father of the Bride (C+) (Favorite Track: "Bambina")
33.Secret Band-LP2 (C+) (Favorite Track: "Black Dolphin")
32.Future-The WZRD (B-) (Favorite Track: "Unicorn Purp")
31.Wristmeetsrazor-Misery Never Forgets (B-) (Favorite Track: "Come on In, the Water's Pink")
30.Offset-FATHER OF 4 (B-) (Favorite Track: "Clout")
29.Kevin Abstract-ARIZONA BABY (B-) (Favorite Track: "Boyer")
28.Fallujah-Undying Light (B-) (Favorite Track: "Eyes Like the Sun")
27.DaBaby-Baby on Baby (B) (Favorite Track: "Goin Baby")
26.Amon Amarth-Berserker (B) (Favorite Track: "When Once Again We Can Set Out Sails")
25.While She Sleeps-SO WHAT? (B) (Favorite Track: "Elephant")
24.Injury Reserve-Injury Reserve (B) (Favorite Track: "Jailbreak the Tesla")
23.Rico Nasty and Kenny Beats-Anger Management (B) (Favorite Track: "Cold")
22.Hozier-Wasteland, Baby! (B) (Favorite Track: "No Plan")
21.Megan thee Stallion-Fever (B) (Favorite Track: "Money Good")
20.Weyes Blood-Titanic Rising (B) (Favorite Track: "Andromeda") 
19.Carly Rae Jepsen-Dedicated (B) (Favorite Track: "Happy Not Knowing")
18.After the Burial-Evergreen (B) (Favorite Track: "The Great Repeat")
17.Moon Tooth-Crux (B) (Favorite Track: "Musketeers")
16.Billie Eilish-When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (B) (Favorite Track: "bad guy")
15.Born of Osiris-The Simulation (B) (Favorite Track: "Cycles of Tragedy")
14.Lil Pump-Harverd Dropout (B) (Favorite Track: "Nu Uh")
13.Venom Prison-Samsara (B) (Favorite Track: "Uterine Industrialization")
12.Ariana Grande-thank u, next (B) (Favorite Track: "bloodline")
11.Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Bandana (B) (Favorite Track: "Palmolive")
10.Critical Defiance-Misconception (B+) (Favorite Track: "Pursuit of Chaos")
9.Itacha-The Language of Injury (B+) (Favorite Track: "Slow Negative Order")
8.2 Chainz-Rap or Go to the League (B+) (Favorite Track: "Whip")
7.Periphery-Periphery IV: HAIL STAN (B+) (Favorite Track: "Garden in the Bones")
6.Anderson. Paak-Ventura (B+) (Favorite Track: "Jet Black")
5.Children of Bodom-Hexed (A-) (Favorite Track: "Kick in a Spleen")
4.Whitechapel-The Valley (A-) (Favorite Track: "When a Demon Defiles a Witch")
3.Thank You Scientist-Terraformer (A-) (Favorite Track: "Swarm")
2.Denzel Curry-ZUU (A-) (Favorite Track: "Birdz")
1.Allegaeon-Apoptosis (A) (Favorite Track: "Metaphobia")

Top 50 Songs of the Year (in no particular order):
2 Chainz-Rule the World (feat. Ariana Grande)
2 Chainz-Whip (feat. Travis Scott)
Allegaeon-Exothermic Chemical Combustion
Allegaeon-Extremophiles (B)
Allegaeon-Metaphobia
Allegaeon-The Secular Age
Allegaeon-Tsunami and Submergence
Anderson. Paak-Chosen One (feat. Sonyae Elise)
Anderson. Paak-Come Home (feat. Andre 3000)
Anderson. Paak-Jet Black (feat. Brandy)
Anderson. Paak-Reachin' 2 Much (feat. Lalah Hathaway)
Ariana Grande-bad idea
Ariana Grande-bloodline
Banks-Gimme
Billie Eilish-bad guy
Billie Eilish-my strange addiction
Born of Osiris-Cycles of Tragedy
Children of Bodom-Kick in a Spleen
Children of Bodom-Relapse (The Nature of My Crime)
Children of Bodom-Under Grass and Clover
Critical Defiance-Pursuit of Chaos
Dance Gavin Dance-Head Hunter
Denzel Curry-BIRDZ (feat. Rick Ross)
Denzel Curry-Bulls on Parade (Rage Against the Machine cover)
Denzel Curry-P.A.T. (feat. PlayThatBoiZay)
Denzel Curry-RICKY
Denzel Curry-WISH (feat.Kiddo Marv)
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Half Manne Half Cocaine
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib-Palmolive (feat. Killer Mike and Pusha T)
Halsey-Nightmare
Hozier-No Plan
Itacha-Slow Negative Order
Kevin Abstract-Boyer
Kevin Abstract-Joyride
Lana Del Rey-Doin' Time (Sublime cover)
Lil Nas X-Old Town (Remix) (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus)
Lil Pump-Nuh Uh
Periphery-CHVRCH BURNER
Periphery-Garden in the Bones
Periphery-Reptile
Thank You Scientist-Everyday Ghosts
Thank You Scientist-Son of a Serpent
Thank You Scientist-Swarm
Thank You Scientist-Terraformer
Trippie Redd-Under Enemy Arms
Venom Prison-Uterine Industrialization
Weyes Blood-Andromeda
Whitechapel-Doom Woods
Whitechapel-Hickory Creek
Whitechapel-When a Demon Defiles a Witch

Mid-Year Awards:
Biggest Surprise (tie): Whitechapel-The Valley/Children of Bodom-Hexed
Biggest Letdown: Fallujah-Undying Light
Most Underrated Album: Lil Pump-Harverd Dropout
Most Overrated Album: PUP-Morbid Stuff
Top Discovery: Ithaca
Most Inexplicably Half-Assed Release by a Member of Black Hippy: ScHoolboy Q-CrasH Talk
Album I'm Most Excited to Hear in the Second Half of 2019: Lana Del Rey-Norman Fucking Rockwell