What Is The Best Album of 2026 So Far, And Why Is It Slayyyter’s WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA?
I’m starting a blog in early April, so I figured the best place to start is what my favorite album of the year has been so far. To my complete shock and awe, the answer isn’t Sexistential by Robyn—even though I love that album and I have listened to it several times. I promise I’ll write about that one separately. But no, here I am, telling you that of all artists I’ve heard this year, Slayyyter released my single favorite album.
Slayyyter is a name you may not be familiar with. Just seeing the spelling of the name with three y’s mayyy make you cringe. This is valid.
In February 2023, I saw Tove Lo in concert in Oakland. I hadn’t heard of Slayyyter yet, and she was the opening act. Long story short, I missed her opening set for that show, but promised myself to look her up later. Slayyyter started off in the hyperpop genre, sort of riffing off more established artists like Sophie and Kim Petras. To be honest, her early music is just not my jam. I went back and listened to it and did not enjoy it. In September 2023, she released her second studio album, Starfucker. It was very good. Despite being released so late in the year, her track “Erotic Electronic” ended up being my most-played track of 2023. The album was a hearkening back to an era of music I love so dearly: electroclash, a much-beloved subgenre of electronic punk music that ran from approximately 1998-2007. “Erotic Electronic” jumped straight out of Kittenz and Thee Glitz, the seminal Felix da Housecat album that was the soundtrack for much of my college experience. But it was 22 years later! And with the exception of a few holdover bands from the era like Sexy Sushi and Peaches, no one is making electroclash music anymore.
In July 2025, I got tickets to another show where Slayyyter was the opening act, for a double-headliner show of Kesha and Scissor Sisters, two of my favorites. This time, I showed up early and caught the beginning of the opening act. To be blunt: Slayyyter was not good live. Her voice was scratchy, movements jilted, and energy manic. I was the only person in the audience standing and dancing to “Erotic Electronic.” Maybe it was just an off-night.
Earlier this year, I noticed that she had released some new music, in advance of a new album. Being as I preferred her recorded music to her live performance, I gave it a try. The first song I heard off this new album, “DANCE…”, was a revelation. I listened to it on repeat. The other early-release singles didn’t capture my attention right away. That’s okay.
WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA was released on March 27, 2026. I thought: “why on earth would she release this album on the same day as the critical darling Robyn, who makes music in a relatively similar genre and had received dozens of positive advanced reviews?” Of course, I listened to Robyn first. But I had pre-added Slayyyter’s album into Apple Music, too, so it sat there staring at me while I played Robyn’s album on repeat.
The album was only released a week ago, and it has competed with several other albums. But I’ve listened to the album start-to-finish five times. It is getting better with every listen-through, as I learn the lyrics, examine the overall structure of the album and the connections between songs, listen closely to the beats and the instrumentations, and become more familiar with each song.
What is the best song on this album? Who could even say. My answer has changed several times already. Thursday, I said “GAS STATION,” Friday was “$T. LOSER,” and today was “WHAT IS IT LIKE, TO BE LIKED?” Ultimately, this is a true no-skip album, which is the highest praise I can give any album. What is it similar to? I described it to a friend as “a bizarre mashup of Crystal Castles, Miss Kittin, Amyl and the Sniffers, 2007 Britney Spears, and Lana Del Rey.” But it is so much more than that! What genre is this album? If one must be reductive like this, the answer would be “pop,” but I’ve never heard a pop album like this one. It’s angry, aggressive, and self-effacing, but also beautiful, soulful, and extremely diverse.
Do yourself a favor and listen. More than once. Let it sink in. Read the lyrics. This album is intense. Enjoy what I am considering to be the rebirth of a new star.
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