Although 2016 may have been hell for almost all of us, it has been a great year for new album drops and song releases. Here's some of my favorite new songs and albums that you should check out and enjoy!

1. 'A Seat At The Table' by Solange

When first listening to this album, I hoped that "Cranes in the Sky" would be stuck in my head forever. Solange beautifully created this album about black survival and the strength of black people, including interludes of powerful speeches about black empowerment. It's soulful, powerful, and fills you with a dusty, jazzy, warmth. Her songs express love, grief, loss, and self-respect; a true work of art.

2. 'Blond' by Frank Ocean

After years and years of waiting, Frank Ocean finally dropped his next album this year, Blond. The album is full of poetic lyrics and gorgeous beats. He brings up the horrors of Hurricane Katrina, the death of Travyon Martin, and what it's like to be in love with your fuck-buddy. As always, Frank Ocean impresses listeners with his beautiful voice, extending from several octaves and auto-tuning it up and down, like in "Nikes" and "Self Control". He definitely made his fans waiting 4 years worth it.

3. 'Coloring Book' by Chance the Rapper

Chance, a young rapper from Chicago, has proved himself more and more over the years and has made his way into the mainstream, making it clear he isn't going anywhere. He first mentioned his album drop in Kanye's intro "Ultralight Beam". He impressed us over the years with his witty and quick lines, now including choirs and amazing backup singers. While working with Kanye he has become quite the accomplished producer. We hear his stories about the hardships of his childhood growing up in Chicago ("Summer Friends"), his religious beliefs ("Blessings", "How Great"), the importance of his family ("Angels", "Smoke Break") and how much he hates being a designated driver ("All Night"). My personal favorite is "Same Drugs" taking on the perspective of how growing up and drifting away from someone really changes the way you look at their life. Chance has really proved his talent with this album.

4. 'The Divine Feminine' by Mac Miller

Mac has always held a special place in my heart for his weird quirky verses and laid-back personality. But this album shows a very different side of the Mac Miller we all know and love. This entire album was made for his girlfriend, Ariana Grande, expressing his love and admiration for her. The album's music is full pf beautifully played piano and string arrangements. A softer, feminine contrast between his singing and rapping really emphasizes the feelings of love and distance, and it's done beautifully. The energy of the songs expresses so many new emotions we've never really seen from Mac, making the album even more charming and divine.

5. 'Stoney' by Post Malone

Everyone knows Post Malone for "White Iverson", but what most people don't know is that he started off in the music industry as a folk artist. He grew up appreciating a wide range of genres, including folk and country music. He taught himself how to play guitar and released his first mix tape to his high school when he was only 16. In Stoney, he combines his rustic, folky voice with his hop-hop beats and created a beautifully contrasting album. He expresses his most authentic personality and talent in his songs, featuring amazing artists such as Kehlani, Andre 3000, Quavo, 2 Chainz, and Justin Bieber. I highly recommend listening to the entire album and appreciating and respecting the amazing work he put into it, you will not be disappointed (my favorites are "Big Lie", "Go Flex", "Congratulations", and "Leave").

6. "By Design" by Kid Cudi (ft. Andre 3000)

Kid Cudi, even trying to recover from his lifelong struggle with depression and mental illness, released a banger album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin'. It's full of songs to bump while cruising in the car or getting drunk at a club. Cudi fans that have stuck by him for years appreciate the work he put into this while dealing with so many inner demons.

7. '4 Your Eyez Only' by J. Cole

J. Cole has always been amazing at putting his life into his work, expressing the many difficulties he's faced throughout his life. This album follows the life of a young man, from selling crack on the street to starting a family of his own. J. Cole tells a story of him and his best friend's life, both having daughters, and having to look after both girls when his best friend dies. There have been several rumors that this is about a real friend J. Cole had and the violence they faced while growing up in the ghetto of North Carolina. You can hear his anger of this violence and the way it has affected his life in "Immortal" and the softness of his worry about these young daughters in "She's Mine Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2".

8. 'Views' by Drake

Views shows the Drake everyone loves: emotional, fragile, and gets ya right in the feels. He switches between themes, flows, and genres, while continuing his emotional roller-coaster about getting his heartbroken. Each song has a super catchy hook and chorus (like "Feel No Ways", "Controlla", "One Dance", and "Child's Play") with an elevator music-like beat. Drake always has great artists featured on his albums, like Future, Rihanna, and Pimp C. Although it's a little lengthy and sentimental, Views is funny, unexpected, and has plenty of lit lines for tweets and Instagram captions.

9. 'The Life of Pablo' by Kanye

Anyone who knows me knows how much I appreciate Kanye, and that I have a real respect for his music and producing. This is the only album Kanye has ever released without having an underlying theme of humor or jokes made to represent a bigger picture. Instead it's a combination of wild energy and unique work that shows his attitude. He expresses his bluntness and "I don't give a fuck what you think" personality, while also showing his devotion to his faith and family. Kanye has always had a strong talent of finding amazing and under appreciated artists to feature on his albums (like "Panda" by Desiigner featured in Kanye's song "Pt. 2"). He also has several other artists like Rihanna, Andre 3000, Chance, Kid Cudi, Young Thug, Frank Ocean, and Chris Brown. There's a song for any kind of mood, day, and occasion and I personally believe it's one of Kanye's best albums (and definitely the best album of 2016).

I hope 2016 wasn't too hard on you all, and that 2017 is much kinder (and filled with much more greats album releases)!