In just a few days, we will be waving goodbye to 2016 and preparing ourselves for all of our goals and resolutions for the coming year. With everything that has happened over the past 12 months, for countless people, it's hard to think of many great things that 2016 brought to us. The silver lining of this year lies within the pop music scene, as we received a solid repertoire of incredible new albums from a variety of artists. Here are six of the best pop albums that we received in 2016.
1. "Nemesis" - Bridgit Mendler
Although only an EP comprised of four songs total, Mendler's newest work dresses to impress by keeping things short and sweet. The opening track Atlantis is a perfect introduction to the complexity and uniqueness of "Nemesis" as a whole with its layered vocals and electronic influences. The rest of the tracks follow in suit, each independent from the rest in their own ways, creating a dynamically versatile extended play.
2. "E•MO•TION: Side B" - Carly Rae Jepsen
This continuation of her original album "E•MO•TION" offers eight brand new solid tracks. As with "E•MO•TION," "Side B" follows Jepsen's 80s style theme of music, complete with the perfect amount of synthesizer sounds to help us feel transported back to 30 years ago. The ending track "Roses" is a perfect preview to the entirety of this album, with its superb lyrics and instrumentation.
3. "Glory Days" - Little Mix
This British girl band keeps reinventing their sound with each new album they release, and this may be the most creative they've gone yet. "Glory Days" covers all bases in the pop spectrum, with its tracks ranging from heart-wrenching ballads to having crazy bass drops and trap-like beats. Tying this all together with the incredible vocals and harmonies of the four band members, Little Mix never ceases to impress. Check out the album's lead single "Shout Out To My Ex" to be reminded of why you shouldn't stay hung up on that jerk from your past.
4. "Dangerous Woman" - Ariana Grande
Unabashedly bold and purely pop, this album dazzles in every single way. It's ridiculously hard to skip any track while listening to "Dangerous Woman" simply because each one is just that good. Ariana's unbelievable vocal abilities combined with mesmerizing instrumentals has created an album that'll never get old. Give a listen to the disco-like track "Greedy" for a glimpse at Grande's versatility with both her voice and her style.
5. "I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful, yet so unaware of it" - The 1975
Don't let the intimidatingly long title scare you away; the sophomore album from this British band bursts with creativity in so many forms. The 1975 comes back with their signature sounds of electric guitar, synthesizer, and electronic tunes to create a masterpiece of tracks with the most eloquent lyrics of any musician or band in today's scene. Not to mention, they've got bomb skills in making the best sounding ambient songs, too. Check out my personal favorite track from the album, "Somebody Else," and be sure to turn up the sound real loud to really immerse yourself in the greatness of this song.
6. "Lemonade" - Beyoncé
Let's be honest, are you surprised? If you haven't yet, you should just go ahead and set aside some time to listen to this album. Better yet, do yourself a big favor and watch the visual adaptation to the album. A variety of different art forms come together to complete this film, and it's just as visually stunning as the album is sonically. Until then, here's "Formation."
Cheers to 2017; let's hope it brings just as many great albums as this year did!
