2021 in Canadian music

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The following musical events and releases that happened in 2021 in Canada.

Events

• April 10 – 16th Canadian Folk Music Awards ^[1]
• April 12 - CBC Music launches Canada Listens, a new musical version of the CBC's long-running literature debate show Canada Reads . Kardinal Offishall's album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 is announced as the winner of the competition at the end of the week.
• June 6 – Juno Awards of 2021 ^[2]
• June 15 - Initial longlist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize announced
• July 15 - Shortlist for the Polaris Music Prize announced
• July 26 - Prism Prize winners announced
• July 28 - SOCAN Songwriting Prize winners announced
• September 27 - Cadence Weapon wins the 2021 Polaris Music Prize for his album Parallel World ^[3]
• November 7 - 43rd Félix Awards
• November 29 - 2021 Canadian Country Music Awards ^[4]

Albums released

0-9

• 347aidan, Chasing Harmony ^[5]

A

• Afrikana Soul Sister, Kalasö
• AHI, Prospect
• Alaskan Tapes, For Us Alone
• Jeremie Albino and Cat Clyde, Blue Blue Blue ^[6]
• Alee, Feels Like This - July 16 ^[7]
• All Hands Make Light, All Hands Make Light ^[8]
• a l l i e, Tabula Rasa ^[9]
• Arkells, Blink Once - September 30
• Tenille Arts, Girl to Girl - October 22 ^[10]

B

• Backxwash, I Lie Here Buried with My Rings and My Dresses - May 28 ^[11]
• BadBadNotGood, Talk Memory - October 8
• James Baley, A Story ^[12]
• Ashleigh Ball, Before All the Magic's Gone ^[13]
• Gord Bamford, Diamonds in a Whiskey Glass - June 4 ^[14]
• Barenaked Ladies, Detour de Force - July 16
• The Beaches, Sisters Not Twins (The Professional Lovers Album)
• Beatchild, Unselfish Desires - August 13
• Bell Orchestre, House Music - March 19
• Belly, See You Next Wednesday - August 27
• Beppie, Dino-Mite!
• Art Bergmann, Late Stage Empire Dementia - May 21 ^[15]
• Bernice, Eau de Bonjourno
• The Besnard Lakes, The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings - January 29 ^[16]
• Justin Bieber, Justice - March 19
• Big Brave, Vital
• Big Brave with The Body, Leaving None but Small Birds
• Big Wreck, Big Wreck 7.1 - November 19
• Blue Rodeo, Many a Mile - December 3 ^[17]
• The Blue Stones, Hidden Gems - March 19
• Born Ruffians, Pulp - April 16
• Boslen, Dusk to Dawn ^[18]
• Boy Golden, Church of Better Daze ^[19]
• Boys Night Out, Nevermind 2 - July 16
• Jon Bryant, Psychidyllic Salutations - November 26
• Spencer Burton, Coyote ^[20]

C

• Cadence Weapon, Parallel World - April 30 ^[21]
• Alessia Cara, In the Meantime - September 24
• Casey MQ, babycasey: ultra ^[22]
• Charlotte Cardin, Phoenix - April 23 ^[23]
• Casper Skulls, Knows No Kindness - November 12 ^[24]
• Annabelle Chvostek, String of Pearls
• Cœur de pirate, Perséides (April 30); Impossible à aimer (October 15)
• Louis-Jean Cormier, Le ciel est au plancher - April 16 ^[25]
• Charlotte Cornfield, Highs in the Minuses - October 29 ^[26]
• Crown Lands, White Buffalo

D

• Death From Above 1979, Is 4 Lovers - March 26
• Art d'Ecco, In Standard Definition
• The Deep Dark Woods, Changing Faces
• Del Barber, Stray Dogs (Collected B-Sides / Vol. 1) - August 20 ^[27]
• Devours, Escape from Planet Devours
• The Dirty Nil, Fuck Art - January 1
• Julie Doiron, I Thought of You - November 26 ^[28]
• Drake, Certified Lover Boy - September 3
• Drake, Scary Hours 2 - March 5
• Kevin Drew, Influences - July 16
• Dru, The Rebirth MMXX - May 27
• Ducks Ltd., Modern Fiction
• Willie Dunn, Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies ^[29]
• Melanie Durrant, Where I'm At - May 7
• Dvsn, Amusing Her Feelings - January 15
• Dvsn and Ty Dolla Sign, Cheers to the Best Memories - August 20

E

• Jade Eagleson, Honkytonk Revival - November 12
• Efajemue, Aesthetics
• Emanuel, Alt Therapy
• André Ethier, Further Up Island

F

• Michael Feuerstack, Harmonize The Moon - March 19
• Dominique Fils-Aimé, Three Little Words - February 12 ^[13]
• Jeremy Fisher, Hello Blue Monday
• The Franklin Electric, This Time I See It - September 24

G

• The Garrys, Get Thee to a Nunnery
• Gayance, No Toning Down
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor, G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END! - April 2
• Great Aunt Ida, Unsayable - September 7 ^[30]
• Great Lake Swimmers, Live at the Redeemer 2007 - May 14 ^[31]
• Grievous Angels, Summer Before the Storm ^[32]
• G. R. Gritt, Ancestors ^[11]

H

• Half Moon Run, Inwards & Onwards
• Hillsburn, Slipping Away ^[11]
• Home Front, Think of the Lie
• TheHonestGuy, Love Songs for No One
• Hunter Brothers, Been a Minute - June 30 ^[33]
• Nate Husser, Adult Supervision ^[34]
• Andrew Hyatt, The Wanderspace Sessions (February); Wild Flowers (July)

I

• Brandon Isaak, Modern Primitive
• Islands, Islomania - June 11

J

• JayWood, Some Days
• Jazz Cartier, The Fleur Print - September 10
• Sean Jones, Weekend Lover - November 5

K

• Greg Keelor, Share the Love
• Mo Kenney, Covers - February 26 ^[35]
• Shawnee Kish, Shawnee Kish - June 25 ^[36]
• Brett Kissel, What Is Life? - April 9 ^[37]
• Kiwi Jr., Cooler Returns - January 22
• Korea Town Acid, Metamorphosis (April); Cosmos (October)
• Nicholas Krgovich, This Spring ^[38]

L

• Land of Talk, Calming Night Partner - November 12
• Daniel Lanois, Heavy Sun - March 19 ^[13]
• Thierry Larose, Cantalou
• Sook-Yin Lee and Adam Litovitz, jooj two ^[21]
• Hubert Lenoir, Pictura de Ipse: Musique directe - September 15 ^[39]
• Simon Leoza, Albatross
• Loony, Soft Thing; Turf
• Loscil, Clara - May 28
• Russell Louder, Humor
• The Lowest of the Low, Taverns and Palaces - December 10 ^[40]

M

• Majid Jordan, Wildest Dreams - October 22
• Manila Grey, No Saints on Knight Street
• Martha and the Muffins, Marthology: In and Outtakes - November 5 ^[41]
• Matt Mays, From Burnside with Love
• Kyle McKearney, Down-Home
• Kairo McLean, Easy Now
• Kelly McMichael, Waves
• Myst Milano, Shapeshyfter ^[42]
• Millimetrik, Sun-Drenched
• Ariane Moffatt, Incarnat - March 25 ^[43]
• Monowhales, Daytona Bleach
• Jess Moskaluke, The Demos - February 19 ^[44]
• Mother Mother, Inside - June 25
• Mouth Congress, Waiting for Henry - December 10 ^[45]
• Mustafa, When Smoke Rises - May 28 ^[11]

N

• N Nao and Joni Void, L’oiseau chante avec ses doigts
• Nimkii and the Niniis, Nang Giizhigoong
• Laura Niquay, Waska Matisiwin
• Safia Nolin, Seum
• Justin Nozuka, Then, Now & Again - April 9

O

• Ocie Elliott, Slow Tide ^[46]
• Odonis Odonis, Spectrums ^[47]
• Steven Lee Olsen, Relationship Goals - July 30 ^[48]
• The Oot n' Oots, Ponderosa Bunchgrass and the Golden Rule
• Ouri, Frame of a Fauna ^[49]

P

• Dorothea Paas, Anything Can't Happen - May 7 ^[50]
• Meghan Patrick, Heart on My Glass - June 25 ^[51]
• Nico Paulo, Live at First Light
• Dany Placard, Astronomie (suite)
• Planet Giza, Don't Throw Rocks at the Moon ^[52]
• The Joel Plaskett Emergency, Twenty Years Gone: The Joel Plaskett Emergency Revisits Down at the Khyber ^[53]
• Plaza, Nocturnes - October 1
• Postdata, Twin Flames - March 5 ^[13]
• Garth Prince, Falling in Africa
• Priyanka, Taste Test - July 16 ^[54]

R

• Raised By Swans, Raised By Swans Is the Name of a Man, Volume 1 - February 9
• Rare Americans, Rare Americans 2 (March); Jamesy Boy & The Screw Loose Zoo (November)
• Rhye, Home - January 22 ^[13]
• Daniel Romano, Cobra Poems
• Daniel Romano, Fully Plugged In
• Daniel Romano, Kissing the Foe
• Royal Canoe, Sidelining - July 9
• Justin Rutledge, Islands - March 26 ^[55]
• Ruth B., Moments In Between - June 11
• Serena Ryder, The Art of Falling Apart - March 12

S

• Julien Sagot, Sagot
• Said the Whale, Dandelion - October 22
• SATE, The Fool
• JP Saxe, Dangerous Levels Of Introspection - June 25
• Jay Scøtt, Ses plus grands succès
• Joseph Shabason, The Fellowship - April 30
• Shabason, Krgovich and Harris, Florence ^[56]
• Shad, TAO - October 1
• Andy Shauf, Wilds
• Jairus Sharif, Mega Optics
• Tyler Shaw, Tyler Shaw - August 20
• Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Theory of Ice
• Skiifall, Woiiyoie Tapes Vol. 1 ^[57]
• Small Sins, Volume II - February 12 ^[13]
• Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Life After ^[58]
• Spiritbox, Eternal Blue - September 17
• Arielle Soucy, Unresolved Collection
• Souldia, Dixque d'art
• Status/Non-Status, 1 2 3 4 500 Years ^[59]
• Emily Steinwall, Welcome to the Garden ^[60]
• Stripper's Union, The Undertaking ^[61]
• Adrian Sutherland, When the Magic Hits ^[62]
• Suuns, The Witness

T

• Talk, Talk to Me
• Tebey, The Good Ones - January 22 ^[63]
• TEKE::TEKE, Shirushi ^[64]
• TiKA, Anywhere But Here ^[65]
• Tommy Lefroy, Flight Risk
• Morgan Toney, First Flight
• The Tragically Hip, Saskadelphia (EP) - May 21 ^[66]
• The Tragically Hip, Road Apples: 30th Anniversary Edition - October 15 ^[67]
• The Trews, Wanderer - November 19
• Tuns, Duly Noted - March 26 ^[68]

U

• Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, Einsteins of Consciousness - January 8
• Suzie Ungerleider, My Name Is Suzie Ungerleider - August 13

V

• Mathew V, The Outer Circle
• Vincent Vallières, Toute beauté n'est pas perdue
• Chad VanGaalen, World's Most Stressed Out Gardener — March 19 ^[69]
• Jon Vinyl, Lost in You ^[70]

W

• Martha Wainwright, Love Will Be Reborn - August 20 ^[71]
• The Weather Station, Ignorance - February 5 ^[72]
• Whitehorse, Modern Love
• Whitehorse, Strike Me Down
• The Wilderness of Manitoba, Farewell to Cathedral - October 29
• Charlotte Day Wilson, Alpha - July 9 ^[73]

Y

• Yoo Doo Right, Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose ^[74]

Deaths

• January 12 - Curtis "Shingoose" Jonnie, singer-songwriter (COVID-19) ^[75]
• January 28 - Jay W. McGee, R&B, soul and hip hop musician ("Ladies Delight", "Another Love in Your Life") ^[76]
• April 4 - Paul Humphrey, lead singer for Blue Peter (multiple system atrophy) ^[77]
• April 14 - Michel Louvain, singer (cancer) ^[78]
• April 19 - Bob Lanois, record producer and recording engineer ^[79]
• June 23 - Ellen McIlwaine, blues singer
• December 18 - Custom, filmmaker and musician (cardiac arrest) ^[80]

References

1. Brock Thiessen, "Canadian Folk Music Awards Unveil 2021 Nominees". Exclaim! , December 1, 2020.
2. David Friend, "Juno Awards postpone 50th anniversary show date to June 6 amid COVID-19 pandemic". Toronto Star , April 14, 2021.
3. "Cadence Weapon wins Polaris Music Prize for ‘Parallel World’". The Globe and Mail , September 27, 2021.
4. David Friend, "‘Drag Race’ winner Priyanka to co-host Canada’s country music awards with Lindsay Ell". Toronto Star , November 8, 2021.
5. Laura Robinson, "Viral Canadian Punk Star 347aidan Takes The Stage". Next Magazine.
6. Scott Roos, "Cat Clyde & Jeremie Albino's 'Blue Blue Blue' Is a Fun Foray into Blues Blues Blues". Exclaim! , May 18, 2021.
7. Murray, Joshua (July 17, 2021). "Alee Releases New Album, Feels Like This". The Reviews Are In. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
8. Erik Leijon, "Two stars of the Montreal music scene unite for All Hands Make Light". Cult MTL , September 23, 2021.
9. Calum Slingerland, "a l l i e Announces New Album 'Tabula Rasa'". Exclaim! , August 13, 2021.
10. "Tenille Arts Thinks If You Can Relate To It, You Can Listen To It". B104. August 19, 2021.
11. "21 Canadian albums we can't wait to hear in 2021". CBC Music, December 30, 2020.
12. Richard Trapunski, "Toronto’s best music 2021: albums, concerts and so many songs to stream" Archived 2022-07-02 at the Wayback Machine . Now , December 9, 2021.
13. Alex Hudson, "Exclaim!'s 29 Most Anticipated Canadian Albums of 2021". Exclaim! , January 4, 2021.
14. Nicolson, Deb (May 26, 2021). "Award-Winning Country Star Gord Bamford". Patch.
15. Josiah Hughes, "Art Bergmann Details New Album 'Late Stage Empire Dementia,' Shares 'Entropy'". Exclaim! , March 19, 2021.
16. Alex Hudson, "The Besnard Lakes Share Trippy 'Feuds with Guns' Video". Exclaim! , December 29, 2020.
17. Bell, Kaelan (October 15, 2021). "Blue Rodeo Announce New Album 'Many a Mile'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
18. Mitch Mosk, "INTROSPECTIVE, CINEMATIC, & DARK”: BOSLEN DIVES INTO THE VULNERABLE DEPTHS OF DEBUT ALBUM ‘DUSK TO DAWN’". Atwood Magazine, October 4, 2021.
19. "Introducing Boy Golden, your new favourite country outlier". CBC Music, December 8, 2021.
20. Vish Khanna, "Spencer Burton Keeps Hope Alive on 'Coyote'". Exclaim! , February 19, 2021.
21. "Spring 2021 guide: 21 albums you need to hear". CBC Music, March 19, 2021.
22. Alex Hudson, "Casey MQ Announces 'babycasey: ultra' Remix Album". Exclaim! , September 29, 2021.
23. Calum Slingerland, "Charlotte Cardin Readies Debut Album 'Phoenix'". Exclaim! , February 12, 2021.
24. Calum Slingerland, "Casper Skulls Detail Sophomore Album 'Knows No Kindness'". Exclaim! , August 26, 2021.
25. Louis-Philippe Labrèche, "Louis-Jean Cormier annonce son nouvel album : Le ciel est au plancher". Le Canal auditif, March 19, 2021.
26. Pappis, Konstantinos (August 5, 2021). "Charlotte Cornfield Announces New Album, Shares Video for New Song 'Headlines'". Our Culture Mag . Retrieved August 7, 2021.
27. Schneider, Jason (August 18, 2021). "Essentials… with Del Barber". FYIMusicNews. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
28. Matt Bobkin, "Julie Doiron Announces 'I Thought of You,' First Solo Album in Nine Years". Exclaim! , September 21, 2021.
29. Sam Sodomsky, "Willie Dunn — Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology". Pitchfork , March 22, 2021.
30. Shawn Conner, "‘Great Aunt Ida’ Nilsen returns with the lush Unsayable". Vancouver Sun , September 1, 2021.
31. Brock Thiessen, "Great Lake Swimmers Announce 'Live at the Redeemer 2007'". Exclaim! , February 25, 2021.
32. Kerry Doole, "NDP MP Charlie Angus' Songwriting Remains Potent on Grievous Angels' 'Summer Before the Storm'". Exclaim! , January 13, 2021.
33. "Hunter Brothers Drop New Album, Been A Minute June 30th". Top Country. June 30, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
34. Michael Meanchoff, "Montréal’s Nate Husser enlists Mick Jenkins, Jean Deaux & Eva Shaw for Adult Supervision". HipHopCanada, June 30, 2021.
35. Stephen Cooke, "Mo Kenney’s got this covered: new album offers fresh takes of favourite tunes". Halifax Chronicle-Herald , February 24, 2021.
36. Conchita Galvez, "'Music is medicine': Shawnee Kish on her new EP, identifying as two-spirit". CTV News Edmonton, June 15, 2021.
37. Meister, Lauren (March 4, 2021). "Brett Kissel says new record is heart driven not hit driven". CochraneNow.
38. Stuart Derdeyn, "Nicholas Krgovich releases collection of Veda Hille songs This Spring". Vancouver Sun , May 14, 2021.
39. Yara El-Soueidi, "Quebec Media Rejected Hubert Lenoir, So He's Taking Over the World Instead". Exclaim! , September 13, 2021.
40. Jason Schneider, "Essentials… with Lowest Of The Low’s Ron Hawkins". FYI Music News, December 9, 2021.
41. Nick Krewen, "Martha and the Muffins’ fresh batch almost ready — but in the meantime, their anthology lets them look back". Toronto Star , October 30, 2021.
42. "The Sound of September 2021: This Month's Essential New Releases". Exclaim! , September 14, 2021.
43. Josée Lapointe, "Le nouvel album d’Ariane Moffatt sortira le 26 mars". La Presse , February 26, 2021.
44. Dagg, Nanci (January 28, 2021). "Mark February 19 on your calendar. That's the day that Jess Moskaluke's new album The Demos will be released". Canadian Beats Media.
45. Calum Slingerland, "Kids in the Hall's Scott Thompson and Paul Bellini Detail Mouth Congress Retrospective Album". Exclaim! , October 26, 2021.
46. Kaitlin Irving, "Ocie Elliott Find Peace on 'Slow Tide' EP" Archived 2021-08-27 at the Wayback Machine . Exclaim! , March 12, 2021.
47. Matt Bobkin, "Odonis Odonis Announce New Album 'Spectrums'". Exclaim! , March 9, 2021.
48. "GRAMMY-NOMINATED SINGER-SONGWRITER STEVEN LEE OLSEN ANNOUNCES EP, RELATIONSHIP GOALS, OUT JULY 30". Universal Music Canada . July 22, 2021.
49. Daniel McIntosh, "Ouri Offers Something for Everyone, from Electronic to Neo-Classical, on 'Frame of a Fauna'". Exclaim! , October 20, 2021.
50. Alex Hudson, "Dorothea Paas Shows That Anything Can Happen on 'Anything Can't Happen'". Exclaim! , May 5, 2021.
51. "Meghan Patrick Announces New 'Heart On My Glass' Album Out June 25th With New Single, "Mama Prayed For" Out Today (5.7)". Shore Fire Media. May 7, 2021.
52. Mr. Wavvy, "REVIEW: Planet Giza, Don’t Throw Rocks at the Moon". Cult MTL , April 6, 2021.
53. Richard Woodbury, "2 decades after Down at the Khyber, the Joel Plaskett Emergency re-records landmark album". CBC News Nova Scotia, October 16, 2021.
54. Corey Atad, "‘Canada’s Drag Race’ Winner Priyanka Releasing Debut EP ‘Taste Test’. ET Canada , July 14, 2021.
55. David Pratt, "Justin Rutledge: Islands". Folk Radio UK , February 17, 2021.
56. Calum Slingerland, "Shabason, Krgovich & Harris Announce Instrumental Album 'Florence'". Exclaim! , February 5, 2021.
57. Alex Nino Gheciu, "Stream Skiifall's New EP 'WOIIYOUI TAPES VOL. 1'". Complex , August 6, 2021.
58. Aly Laube, "It Took a Village to Raise Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and Now They're Paying It Forward". Exclaim! , October 21, 2021.
59. Matt Bobkin, "Status/Non-Status, Formerly WHOOP-Szo, Tells Complicated Stories of Indigeneity". Exclaim! , April 28, 2021.
60. Allie Gregory, "Toronto Saxophonist Emily Steinwall Is a Force for Unity on 'Welcome to the Garden'". Exclaim! , March 30, 2021.
61. Calum Slingerland, "Tragically Hip and Odds Offshoot Strippers Union Ready New Double Album". Exclaim! , January 18, 2021.
62. Dorothy Stewart, "Adrian Sutherland launches deeply personal solo album". CBC North, November 3, 2021.
63. Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (December 16, 2020). "Tebey To Release Debut Album 'The Good Ones' In January". Entertainment Focus.
64. Matt Bobkin, "TEKE::TEKE Showcase Many Possibilities of Their Kaleidoscopic Psych Rock on 'Shirushi'". Exclaim! , May 10, 2021.
65. Aly Laube, "TiKA's 'Anywhere but Here' Is an Exuberant Celebration of Black Queer Love". Exclaim! , February 23, 2021.
66. Jonathan Dekel, "The inside story of The Tragically Hip’s Saskadelphia, the band’s first new album since the death of Gord Downie". The Globe and Mail , May 20, 2021.
67. Tim Peacock, "The Tragically Hip Announce Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition Of ‘Road Apples’". UDiscoverMusic, September 16, 2021.
68. Vish Khanna, "Sloan/Super Friendz/Inbreds Supergroup TUNS Yield Even Richer Results on 'Duly Noted'". Exclaim! , March 22, 2021.
69. Brock Thiessen, "Chad VanGaalen Returns with New Album 'World's Most Stressed Out Gardener'". Exclaim! , January 28, 2021.
70. Natalie Harmsen, "The Pleasure and Pain of Jon Vinyl". Complex , October 1, 2021.
71. Elio Iannacci, "Martha Wainwright’s ‘rebirth’: After a divorce, finding love again and returning to her music, singer-songwriter is starting over with a new album". Toronto Star , August 13, 2021.
72. Jeff Bierk, "The Weather Station Announces New Album Ignorance, Shares New Single". Paste , November 18, 2020.
73. Allie Gregory (May 20, 2021). "Charlotte Day Wilson Announces Debut Album 'Alpha'". Exclaim! .
74. Stephan Boissonneault, "Yoo Doo Right Earn Their Spot Among Montreal Post-Rock Royalty with 'Don't Think You Can Escape Your Purpose'". Exclaim! , May 19, 2021.
75. "'Trailblazer' Ojibway musician Shingoose dies of COVID-19 at 74". CBC News. January 12, 2021.
76. Niel Scobie, "Jay W. McGee, a groundbreaking vocalist, songwriter and Juno nominee, always went back to the music of his father". Toronto Star , May 2, 2021.
77. David Friend, "Paul Humphrey, suave frontman of ‘80s Toronto new wave band Blue Peter, dies at 61". Toronto Star , April 7, 2021.
78. James Cullingham, "Veteran Quebec crooner Michel Louvain was a teen idol in the 1950s". The Globe and Mail , May 6, 2021.
79. Jeff Mahoney, "Hamilton’s Bob Lanois dead at 73". Hamilton Spectator , April 20, 2021.
80. "Custom a.k.a. Duane Lavold, Dead at 54". 23 December 2021.