2023 Sub Faves Voting Guide

1. Which should be prioritized for representation in the Sub Faves rate? (The sub's most historically revered artists/The sub's favorite albums of the year)
2. Choose any of the following that you feel deserve a spot in a Sub Faves rate based on general reverance of the artist: (Boygenius/Caroline Polachek/Carly Rae Jepsen/Chappell Roan/Janelle/MonaeJessie Ware/Lana Del Rey/Mitski/Paramore/PinkPantheress/Slayyyter/Troye Sivan)
3. Choose any of the following that you feel deserve a spot in a Sub Faves rate based on acclaim and relevance of their 2023 album: (Boygenius/Caroline Polachek/Carly Rae Jepsen/Chappell Roan/Janelle Monae/Jessie Ware/Lana Del Rey/Mitski/Paramore/PinkPantheress/Slayyyter/Troye Sivan)

Question 1 asks about the philosophy of a Sub Faves rate. This discourse has come up in the past (particularly surrounding the tepid reception of Dedicated Side B by the otherwise godly Carly Rae Jepsen) but never put to a poll until now; however, with so many contenders in the mix, it felt like the right time to put it to a vote for the first time. The results of this question will determine which of the following two questions carry more weight when the rate committee ultimately narrows the rate down to a final lineup of three or four artists. Note that while the results of this poll will form the basis of the final lineup, other assessments such as the Popheads Charts and end-of-year SOTY and AOTY rankings will also be considered should there be no clear consensus.

With that being said, here are the cases for each of the potential options:

- **Boygenius** joining the rate would be the culmination of an arc of indiefication for the rating community, with Phoebe Bridgers winning a rate in 2021 and the group having an entire rate pitting their origins against each other this year. Although it would have been easy to see these girls going their separate ways after their respective breakouts following their 2018 EP, they finally reunited and delivered a beloved opus for the sizable "sad indie girl" contingent on this subreddit. Will they be the band to break the indie glass ceiling on this type of rate?

- After over a year of singles and teases, **Caroline Polachek** finally dropped her second album in 2023. While those leadup singles are still probably the most acclaimed songs from the album, they each have become anthems in their own right that serve as gateways between mainstream pop and its quirkier, glitchier underbelly. At this point, Caroline has broken away from her Chairlift beginnings and has carved out a solid niche in the hyperpop adjacent market; is it enough to christen her an official Sub Favorite?

- The most famous piece of /r/popheads lore is how **Carly Rae Jepsen** is responsible for its creation, and that will forever keep Carly in the conversation for this type of rate even if she released an Andre 3000 esque flute album. Luckily, she continued her hot streak this year with another collection of poptimistic bops. Will we reward her with a rate appearance here, or let newer artists shine?

- **Chappell Roan** is probably the most recent contender to emerge for this list, with her debut album release being the impetus for the subreddit to pay attention to her delightful catalog of singles and music videos, some of which have been out for years at this point. You may not always vibe with her structure-breaking songwriting choices, but her album is all single material, and that goes a long way in pop music circles.

- **Janelle Monae** has been one of the biggest shooters for the subreddit throughout its history, with numerous community interactions over the years and serving as a moderator to this day. Her latest album was a bold statement on sexuality and aimed for a fun listening experience, but garnered less attention than her previous rate-winning album Dirty Computer. Her resume is deep, but was it too much of a departure for us?

- Following her late career reinvention as an impossibly classy disco diva, **Jessie Ware** met her high expectations with her latest album. While What's Your Pleasure will likely remain more iconic in the long run for how much of a surprise it was, That Feels Good stands right alongside it in acclaim; it's basically the Tears of the Kingdom of the couture pop music landscape. Will we honor Jessie as the goddess her music projects her to be, or will she be relegated again to a more specifically dance-ish rate?

- The infamous Question for the Culture may have been a huge stumbling block in terms of **Lana Del Rey's** public relations, but her fanbase has only continued to grow as she has become a true critical darling. Despite communities like Popheads being the ones to ride for historically, she has never been in a true Sub Favorites rate. Could this be the time to look past her past?

- **Mitski** has become the most unlikely new star of the TikTok era, and that mild flirt with mainstream success fits perfectly with past Sub Favorites like Carly and Charli XCX. Her previous album was in a proto-Sub Faves against Janelle Monae and Kacey Musgraves back in 2019, but was her follow up enough of a moment on the subreddit to warrant a return appearance?

- **Paramore** have been the champions of emo and emo-adjacent rates on this subreddit, but have never crossed over into a rate with more general favorites. As the group seem to be disbanding, this may be the final opportunity to see how they stack up. After Laughter was a giant moment back in 2017, but are they still on that level?

- **PinkPantheress** decided to make full length songs for the first time and made history in the process. Her unique blend of UK garage beats and soothing vocals has carved a distinct identity for her that is perhaps hard to pair with other artists, especially considering her fluke hit Boy's a Liar this year elevated her (at least temporarily) out of complete unknown status. But does that make her a Sub Favorite, or just an artist on the rise?

- Probably the artist in contention with the least amount of clout anywhere else, **Slayyyter** delivered what seems to be her most acclaimed project to date this year after rising in notoriety over the years with her hyperpop and Y2K stylings. Her bold, brash and bimboistic aesthetic seem tailor made for the yassest of users, but does that qualify her for this prestige?

- Finally, **Troye Sivan** continued his ascension into gay superstardom with his most Fire Island-core project to date. While his latest album is a natural continuation from what he's been doing since 2018's Bloom, its striking visuals and unrepentant sexuality made it impossible to ignore for the first time, even picking up some mild yet still surprising mainstream attention. Is he enough of a gay icon to level him up from more niche rates into the general field?