Is there any real correlation between albums with numbers in their titles and release dates in 2016? Probably not. But these three albums still deserve some love for their 10th anniversaries. Dr. Dog once said, “Where’d all the time go?” and we couldn’t agree more.
‘American Football [LP2]’ by American Football
American Football’s second self-titled album, known as LP2, came out 16 years after they disbanded in 2000. That seems to be a somewhat familiar pattern for the formative Midwest emo band. They gained cult status following their 1999 debut LP1, with the Urbana, Illinois-based house on the cover becoming a pilgrimage site for fans. Considering the reverence fans have for American Football, it can be surprising to learn that they were originally a college side project.
But with the years came increased appreciation for the album, and in 2014, American Football reunited for several live shows. The album was released in October 2016, with the cover art featuring a view of the front door from inside the American Football House. While American Football originally didn’t have any lofty plans to make it in the music industry, their early-era emo sound and fast-and-loose approach have earned them lasting fans.
‘Run the Jewels 3’ by Run the Jewels
Rap duo Run the Jewels released their third album, Run the Jewels 3, in December 2016. Killer Mike and El-P’s aesthetic styling stayed pretty consistent throughout their discography, keeping the familiar symbolism but tweaking the design elements with each album. If it’s done with just enough variety, that type of album naming convention and cover design can be so satisfying.
And Run the Jewels did it very well. Specifically, because Run the Jewels 3 was a follow-up to Run the Jewels 2 from 2014, the imagery went through the same transformation. According to the duo, it symbolized growth from the previous album. “The bandages are off, the chain is gone, and the hands have been transformed into gold,” they said. “You are the jewel.”
‘Puberty 2’ by Mitski
Mitski’s Puberty 2 just hit its 10-year milestone on June 17, 2026, and Mitski released a deluxe anniversary edition to celebrate. In 2014, the album Bury Me At Makeout Creek was a breakout success. But Mitski later revealed that the newfound attention had her feeling out of touch with her music. For Puberty 2, she looked back on her previous three albums to find what made them tick.
The result was a quickly beloved album that saw Mitski changing up her approach to live performances. Specifically, she had different versions of these songs for playing live, instead of recording them with that intention. Puberty 2 was Mitski stretching her wings a bit, seeing where experimentation and art-pop styling would work together. Essentially, Puberty 2 was an album of contrasting influences. But it worked because they were enmeshed with Mitski’s deeply thoughtful songwriting and evocative vocals.
The post 3 Albums With Numbers in Their Titles That Are Turning 10 This Year appeared first on VICE.
