It's December which means it's that special time of year: End of year lists!
There were many great albums that came out this year from a whole bunch of genres (except country, never country) and I have listened to a bunch of them (except the country ones). With all this music that came out this year, how could anyone expect to choose the 5 that defined the year in music in an objective and fair way? Well, I tried to do that and came up with this list of 5 albums that I thought defined the year in music. If you don't see an album that you liked on here, or you're a country music fan, don't complain because I don't care. Anyway, here are the albums that I thought defined the year of 2016!
Blonde-Frank Ocean
This one was a given, especially with the amount of sheer anticipation for this after almost four years of absence from the spotlight. After the awkward release of the visual album, Endless, which left a whole bunch of people asking: Is this it? Frank Ocean released his second album, Blonde, as his more traditional release of the year. The differences between Channel Orange and Blonde were very clear as Ocean leaned towards a more acoustic guitar-oriented sound which was big change from the Pop-R&B beats of Channel Orange. Songs like "Ivy," "White Ferrari," and "Self Control" were heart-wrenching tracks that really showcased Ocean's growth as an artist and person. This album was a great reintroduction to a truly talented artist and you should do yourself a favor and listen to it.
Malibu- Anderson Paak.
Released right at the top of the year, Anderson Paak's Malibu has withstood the steady stream of high-profile releases this year and has separated itself as one of the best projects of the year. This album was a soulful, heartbreaking, and life-affirming journey through the life of Brandon Paak Anderson. Tracks like "The Season/Carry Me" and "Room In Here" showed how Paak could shift from rapping effortlessly about his rough upbringing to a smooth post-club R&B jam. With a gravely voice and a drum set, Paak has blown up into one of the breakout stars of the year and has worked with some of the biggest artists in the industry. With contributions to hits like Blank Face LP, Coloring Book (I'll get to this later), and A Tribe Called Quests new record, Anderson Paak is finally reaching his potential.
22, A Million- Bon Iver
The ghostly voice of Bon Iver's front man, Justin Vernon, has been blessing the ears of the sad and heartbroken for almost ten years now. Vernon, a noted contributor to many Kanye West projects, has continued to blur the boundaries of genre as his career has gone forward. 22, A Million is a enjoyable mix of folk-rock and electronic music that creates a palpable mood that is much different from his previous work. Bon Iver has influenced, and collaborated with, many artists that have become huge this year like Francis and The Lights and James Blake. Properly evaluating music in 2016 would not be complete without mentioning one it's most influential, and underrated, artists.
Coloring Book- Chance The Rapper
The crown prince of Chicago hip-hop has had quite the run in 2016. Aside from his mixtape Coloring Book, Chance has gathered several high-profile endorsements, completed a very successful tour, and has been nominated for 7(!) Grammys. Although much more polished than Acid Rap, Coloring Book is still a strong project with a wide variety of impressive guest features. There is definitely traces of Overexposed Disease with Chance's recent success, but you cannot deny that Lil Chano from 79th has reached the mountaintop. Let's all hope that he continues to stay true to what made us fall in love with him, while also continuing to evolve into a truly great musician.
Lemonade- Beyonce
Couldn't avoid it. Not this one. Even though I am not the biggest Beyonce fan, I cannot deny how truly great Lemonade is. Chock full of pro-black anthems and subtle disses towards her husband, Lemonade covers a lot of bases and does so with a equal amount of effort placed into each song. Tracks like "Freedom" and "Formation" are some standouts for me as both tracks show Beyonce's vocal talents and impressive ear for collaborators (Kendrick Lamar and Just Blaze both worked on "Freedom"). There is no one coming to dethrone the Queen of Pop right now and if this year is any indication of the future, there won't be anyone coming for a long time.
