We’re almost halfway through the 2020s (hard to believe it, I know!).

I’m interested in knowing which music newcomers we should be tuning into, instead of listening to all the same old stuff we always do from the last decade.

So, what have been your favorite debut albums of the 2020s so far? What makes them great?

Denmark

Commentary: Quite the variety of styles with this month's Danish NMN contingent. It's definitely Bbybites who has caught the ears though. Rapper Martha Maj Hauptmann brings the attitude with her refreshing mix of pop and hip hop. Track “Whatever“ from her latest EP is on rotation.

Finland

Commentary: IANAI's debut album really does defy genre classification, with its epic soundscapes influenced by folk music from across the globe. The talent found on “Sunir” is nothing to be sniffed at either, with guest appearances from HIM, Sisters of Mercy and Massive Attack to name a few.

Iceland

Commentary: This might become my new obsession. After unexpectedly discovering some Finnish surf rock last month, this month it's the turn of Iceland. Check out the acoustic title track from Fjara – whose name translates to beach/shore – on their brand-new EP “Surfdays”.

Norway

Commentary: Jørn Lande is back with a new studio album, five years since 2017's “Life On Death Road”. Where “Over The Horizon Radar“ lacks in innovation or even boundary pushing, it makes up for in familiar power vocals and eleven solid melodic metal songs.

Sweden

Commentary: It's been thirty-three years since Neneh Cherry's debut album “Raw Like Sushi” released. Her latest album “The Versions” sees a cast of current-day female vocalists give re-workings to tracks from that seminal album and others to admittedly varying degrees of success.

Previous months: March | April | May

Denmark

Commentary: A rock heavy selection coming out of Denmark for this month. So in typical fashion, I'm gonna skip over the generic guitar riffs and angsty lyrics this May and focus instead on the crisp pop voice of Sonic Girl. The track “hackerboy” is worth a listen just for the shoehorning in of antivirus and IP addresses!

Finland

Commentary: Where Denmark failed with rock, Finland might just have delighted this month. The country is synonymous with death metal, so imagine my surprise to find a source of surf rock in the band Mary Ann Hawkins. Their track “Hawkinsmania” is an espresso shot of frenetiscism.

Iceland

Commentary: Iceland is a small place, with 366,000 people and counting, so sometimes pickings are low. But they do say quality over quantity, and that's what we have here. The names behind NEVERNEVER have some real pedigree in the music industry and are led by the strong vocals of Klara Elias.

Norway

Commentary: In April Norway took the crown for the month's biggest and best release with Röyksopp's newest. They've done it again! Sigrid's follow-up to her debut album, “How To Let Go” is a real banger, with stand-out track “Mirror” destined for summer playlists all across the Nordics.

Sweden

Commentary: Four years since the previous album, it's great to have Lykke Li back. “EYEYE” is a brutally melancholic album, with heart-felt lyrics taking centre stage. Margaret Farrell at Pitchfork had this to say: ‘Her music is a companion to sorrow in the same way the sun is a companion to the morning.’

Previous months: March | April

SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE MUSIC | TIDAL | DEEZER | AMAZON MUSIC | PANDORA

Disc 1

1. United in Grief [prod. OKLAMA, Sounwave, J. LBS, Duval Timothy, Beach Noise & Tim Maxey]

2. N95 [prod. Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, Boi-1da, Baby Keem]

3. Worldwide Steppers [prod. Tae Beast, Sounwave, J. LBS]

4. Die Hard (feat. Blxst & Amanda Reifer) [prod. Baby Keem, Sounwave, J. LBS, Dahi, FNZ]

5. Father Time (feat. Sampha) [prod. Sounwave, Dahi, Bekon, Beach Noise, Duval Timothy, Victor Ekpo]

6. Rich - Interlude [prod. Duval Timothy]

7. Rich Spirit [prod. Sounwave, Dahi, Frano]

8. We Cry Together (feat. Taylour Paige) [prod. The Alchemist, J. LBS, Bekon]

9. Purple Hearts (feat. Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah) [prod. Sounwave, DJ Khalil, Beach Noise, J. LBS]

Disc 2

10. Count Me Out [prod. OKLAMA, Sounwave, Dahi, J. LBS, Tim Maxey]

11. Crown [prod. Duval Timothy]

12. Silent Hill (feat. Kodak Black) [prod. Sounwave, Boi-1da, Jahaan Sweet, Beach Noise]

13. Savior - Interlude [prod. OKLAMA, J. LBS, Sounwave]

14. Savior [prod. OKLAMA, Sounwave, J. LBS, Cardo, Mario Luciano, Rascal]

15. Auntie Diaries [prod. Beach Noise, Bekon & The Donuts, Craig Balmoris, Bekon, Sergiu Ghermanm, Tyler Mehlenbacher]

16. Mr. Morale (feat. Tanna Leone) [prod. Pharrell Williams]

17. Mother | Sober (feat. Beth Gibbons of Portishhead) [prod. J.LBS, Sounwave, Bekon]

18. Mirror [prod. Bekon, Tyler Mehlenbacher, Sergiu Gherman, Craig Balmoris, Dahi, Sounwave, Tim Maxey]

OKLAMA is Kendrick's moniker for production credits

Formatting and content taken from r/HipHopHeads

Denmark

Commentary:
Six additional Danish finds this month for our second-ever NMN. Bättre! Astrid Nora is the eponymous name behind Where Did Nora Go. “Under” is their fifth EP, written largely during Covid19 lockdown, with songs crafted to be beacons of hope in a time of fear.

Finland

Commentary:
Ada Aik is a Finnish experimental pop musician. Their debut concept album is imagined around the story of a dollhouse, with each room representing an emotional state such as depression or fear. These themes extend beyond the music into visual media which can be further explored on their website.

Iceland

Commentary:
Indie folk band Seabear hold a special place in the hearts of many Icelanders. Ten years have passed since their previous album, so the cozy and imaginative folk sound of “In Another Life” has been warmly embraced. Their music video to “Parade” was posted to Tildes last week.

Norway

Commentary:
For the big release this April we turn to Norway, where it doesn't get much bigger than Röyksopp. “Profound Mysteries” has been released to stellar reviews, with reference made to a darker, more haunting sound from the band. The visualizer music videos by Jonathan Zawada certainly amplify this feel.

Sweden

Commentary:
We should really be talking about Swedish House Mafia's debut studio album, twelve years after the release of their debut single. But the real gem among the Swedish releases this month is the return of Slowgold. Their song “Väntar” from 2017 still sees regular rotation in our house...

Previous months: March

Denmark

Commentary:
Only two Danish finds for the inaugral NMN post. Förlåt! Andreas's album title probably gives a clue, but it's a Danish language release. Don't be put off by the funny language though, and check out the track “i morgen er der også en dag”, with over 8 million Spotify streams.

Finland

Commentary:
I can get behind Babel's album title and the music there on it. “Eden” is a dream-like opening track from a band compared in the media to the shoegazers Slowdive and also the Cocteau Twins. I hear a little Casey Dienel's “White Hinterland” in there.

Iceland

Commentary:
It's not just album releases covered on NMN, but also beautiful EP's, like Axel Flóvent's. The instrumental title track “Coexist” might not have the obvious popularity of the other tracks, but it carries a melancholic piano very reminiscent of some of Aphex Twin's tracks on “Drukqs”.

Norway

Commentary:
For those of you that missed it, Jenny Hval gave an interview to The Guardian that was posted to Tildes earlier in the month. In it they talk to Rachel Aroesti about their life and how changes in it guided the making of the avant garde musician's new album “Classic Objects”.

Sweden

Commentary:
Being based in Sweden means that this list is inevitably the longer of them. There are some great pop releases in March, especially with Lucky Lo's catchy release “Supercarry” among them. But for international name recognition, they are all overshadowed this month by the first new Ghost LP since 2018.

Here's a list of a things that came out in this past week, up through Friday. Of course, there's no way to be completely comprehensive with this and we avoided including things where information was too lacking, so feel free to bring up anything that isn't on here that you think is worth mentioning. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts of any of these albums, it would be great to hear them :)

Notes:
If you spot any mistakes, let us know.
Parental Advisory version of all albums linked, so expect NSFW.

Ugly God - Bumps & Bruises | Deluxe edition linked.

Thanks to @Cleb, @cfabbro, and @Bauke!

Here's a list of a things that came out in this past week, up through Friday. Of course, there's no way to be completely comprehensive with this and we avoided including things where information was too lacking, so feel free to mention anything that isn't on here that you think is worth mentioning. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts of any of these albums, it would be great to hear them :)

Notes:
If you spot any mistakes, let us know.
Parental Advisory version of all albums linked, so expect NSFW.

Channel Tres - Black Moses | EP isn't due until Aug 16, linked single instead
Flume & Reo Cragun - Quits | Song.link says "Single" but it's the EP
Tennis System - Lovesick | No song.link yet, album not due until Sept 6, linked bandcamp single instead
Volbeat - Rewind, Replay, Rebound | "Deluxe" album linked

Thanks to @Cleb, @Bauke, and @cfabbro!

We're sorting out our process for these to be more efficient, so hopefully we won't be missing weeks anymore. Sorry again about that.

Here's a list of a things that came out in this past week, up through Friday. Of course, there's no way to be completely comprehensive with this and we avoided including things where information was too lacking, so feel free to mention anything that isn't on here that you think is worth mentioning. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts of any of these albums, it would be great to hear them :)

Notes:
If you spot any mistakes, let us know.
Parental Advisory version of all albums linked, so expect NSFW.

Thank you to @Cleb, @cfabbro, and @Bauke!

It looks like a super light week, so feel extra free to mention them here!

Here's a list of a things that came out in this past week, up through Friday. Of course, there's no way to be completely comprehensive with this and we avoided including things where information was too lacking, so feel free to mention anything that isn't on here that you think is worth mentioning. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts of any of these albums, it would be great to hear them :)

Notes:
If you spot any mistakes, let us know.
Parental Advisory version of all albums linked, so expect NSFW.

Andhim - Duno EP | Song.link says Single but it's the EP.
DAGames - Pizza Puppet Panic | No song.link yet. Linked DAGame's YouTube where most of the tracks can be found.
Jaden - ERYS | Deluxe version linked.
Lou the Human - Painkiller Paradise | No song.link yet. Linked Soundcloud instead.

Thank you to @Cleb, @cfabbro, and @Bauke!

Here's a list of a things that came out in this past week, up through Friday. Of course, there's no way to be completely comprehensive with this and we avoided including things where information was too lacking, so feel free to mention anything that isn't on here that you think is worth mentioning. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts of any of these albums, it would be great to hear them :)

Notes:
If you spot any mistakes, let us know.
Parental Advisory version of all albums linked, so expect NSFW.

G-Eazy - B-Sides, says Single but it's actually an EP.
Novelist - Reload King | No Song.link, linked Soundcloud instead.
Peggy Gou / Hiver / I:Cube - DJ-Kicks | Linked DJ Mix and EP version.

Thank you to @Cleb, @cfabbro, and @Bauke

Here's a list of a things that came out in this past week, up through Friday. Of course, there's no way to be completely comprehensive with this and I avoided including things where information was too lacking, so feel free to mention anything that isn't on here that you think is worth mentioning. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts of any of these albums, it would be great to hear them :)

Notes:
If you spot any mistakes, let us know.
Parental Advisory version of all albums linked (so NSFW).

Ghostemane & Parv0 - Human Err0r | Song.link says Single but is actually EP.
Idris Elba Presents: The YARDIE Mixtape | No song.link. Can't find anywhere. Linked his record label's official soundcloud, since that's where the other Idris Elba Presents are located, so I assume this one will show up there eventually too.

Thank you to @Cleb, @cfabbro, and @Bauke!

Here's a list of a things that came out in this past week, up through Friday. Of course, there's no way to be completely comprehensive with this and I avoided including things where information was too lacking, so feel free to mention anything that isn't on here that you think is worth mentioning. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts of any of these albums, it would be great to hear them :)

Notes:
If you spot any mistakes, let us know.

Gloryhammer - Legends from Beyond... || Deluxe Album linked

Thanks to @Cleb, @cfabbro, and @Bauke!