Welcome to 1998!
We're just two years away from the end of the decade! Things are starting to slow down a bit, thankfully, as we slide gently into the last couple episodes of the season. For the first time in ages, we have fewer than the maximum number of Essential Albums and Conspicuous Absences, so please enjoy this respite.
Indie Rock, now being the ruler around the genre, has swiftly left its perch to begin shifting and changing with confidence, while honoring the sounds of the 80s more so now than ever before. Major strides in Pop, Rap, Country and JPop also hit this year, giving us some revitalized directions to take the genres as we consider what the next decade might hold in store.
A shorter episode than the epic run of 90-minuters we've had for nearly the entire season, hopefully I didn't miss anything critical!