The year 2016 has been a large year in the music industry. From the passing of some of the legends of the industry, such as Prince and George Michael, to the release of long-awaited and ground-breaking albums that will change music for years to come, 2016 was packed with major events. Throughout the year new artists sprung up and claimed a portion of the industry for themselves while others reaffirmed their position of dominance in the industry through the release of new music. In light of the changes in the music entertainment, it's important to reflect on some of the best albums of 2016.
1. 4 Your Eyez Only - J. Cole
After a small hiatus from releasing music, J. Cole released the feature-less rap album just as 2016 was closing with almost no warning. Regardless, it still stood out as a fantastic work because of his beats, lyricism and above all his message, making it one of the most memorable albums of the year.
2. A/B - Kaleo
These newcomers from Iceland released one of the strongest rock or alternative albums of the year, with rollicking guitar riffs and a sound the changes from Blues to Hard Rock from song to song. With this album being one of the best in the genre, Kaleo has surely staked a claim in the industry for years to come.
3. Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight - Travis Scott
Another on of the strongest rap albums of 2016, Travis Scott experimentally combined strong beats and tasteful autotune to create a certain aesthetic, which gripped listeners. The mix of party songs and others with serious tones created an album setting Scott apart from others and making this one of the best albums of the year.
4. Home of the Strange - Young the Giant
The Alternative group stayed experimental in their pursuit and in doing so, created one of the best Alternative albums of the year. The mix of various eclectic music styles combined with good vocals made the album one of the most sonically pleasing albums of the year, further confirming Young the Giant as one of the premier Alternative bands currently.
5. Coloring Book - Chance the Rapper
Although not technically an album since it's a mixtape, it's still one of the best works of the year. Once again a rapper taking a slightly experimental approach to his music, Chance the Rapper combined elements of soul and rap to create an appealing work that vaulted him to mainstream success, meriting the mixtape as one of the best of the year.
6. Konnichiwa - Skepta
In his fourth studio album, British rapper Skepta was able to propel his genre, known as Grime, to the mainstream. With some of the infectious beats and hard lyrics present in almost any Grime album, Konnichiwa brought Grime to a new audience in the United States and England as well, making Skepta one of the main reasons for this spread, specifically through this album, making it one of the best of the year.
