Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk

SOS

SZA

A majestic raw nerve that set the bar for modern R&B.

In 2017, Ctrl—a 14-track project filled with songs about love, sex, self-doubt, and heartbreak—became one of the most influential albums in modern R&B. It was the soundtrack for many people in their twenties, highlighting the growing pains of young adulthood via diaristic, ultra-relatable lyrics and ruminations straight out of friend group chats. Five years later, SZA returned—just as honest, but trading self-love and acceptance for defiance. SOS is the sound of someone who’s had enough.

The title track, “Smoking on My Ex Pack” and “Far” exhibit a weariness and a wariness; she finds confidence on “Conceited” and “Forgiveless.” On “Ghost in the Machine,” she contemplates her loss of privacy and humanity with fellow Gen Z icon Phoebe Bridgers. The growth between her debut and sophomore album is stylistic as much as lyrical, blending a mix of her beloved lo-fi beats with grunge- and punk-inspired flourishes. None of it sounds out of place: SOS is the messy, majestic raw nerve of a masterpiece that the moment deserves.

Trans-Europe Express

Kraftwerk

The German group combined electronic experimentation with futurist philosophy.

Kraftwerk was never shy about reinventing themselves. If their electronic period began with the pinging arpeggios of 1974’s Autobahn, their synth-pop era kicked off in earnest with 1975’s Radio-Activity, where they explored shorter songs and sharper hooks. But with 1977’s Trans-Europe Express, they perfected their fusion of electronic experimentation and futurist philosophy.

Trans-Europe Express situated Kraftwerk as something like Germany’s answer to Andy Warhol—in music for the masses, they invented a new kind of conceptual art. The album includes some of their most consequential sounds—the title track’s melody would form the basis for Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock,” while the grinding rhythm of “Metal on Metal” would help shape the birth of techno a few years later. In mood, the album is torn between boundless optimism and darker, more doubtful tones. It’s up to the listener to decide whether the blissful vocoders of closing track “Endless Endless” are genuinely hopeful or a cheeky glimpse at a post-human future.

“It is a seminal record in electronic music [and] one of my all-time favorite records. I remember smoking a joint and listening to it on really loud speakers and I thought I saw God.”

Elton John

Apple Music 100 Best Albums

SOS

Trans-Europe Express