Consider the sheer impossibility of absorbing all of the music released in a year. With the advent of streaming services and the minimal friction for musicians to post their work online, there is now more music arriving than ever before. Add to that the increasing fragility of the album as a delivery vehicle, and the task of ranking the best albums of the year can seem more foolish than ever.

The pop critics for The New York Times do it anyway, and with aplomb. On this week’s Popcast, the team has a conversation about the best music of 2019: Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, 100 gecs, Santana, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Bon Iver, Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift and much, much more.

On the Popcast: