This year has seen an eclectic variety of music, styles, and artists like never before, and looking back on the one of the worst years in human history, the least we can do is try to find some beauty in it, and appreciate the artisanship and beauty in its music. Here is a list of my favorite 9 albums from this past year, and I hope you love them as much as I did.

#9: "Holy Ghost" - Modern Baseball

POP PUNK ISN’T DEAD, and Modern Baseball is here to remind you that it's still as fun, upbeat, and nostalgic as ever. MB combines their quaint, small town-esque style with lyrics that divulge into problems faced by most young adults at the crossroads of adolescence and growing up. My personal favorites from this album are “Everyday” and “Hiding," and I adored their unpolished, teenagery-sound that reminds us of their last project "You’re Gonna Miss It All" (2014). Did I give this album a little more credit than it's worth because of how much I loved their last album? Maybe, but this album was still a personal favorite this year, and I will happily add it to my collection of guilty-pleasure pop punk albums that mainstream music will continue to ignore.

#8: This is Acting - Sia

Although Sia is known as an incredible pop star in her own right, many are unaware of her role as a songwriter for stars like Rihanna, Adele, and Jennifer Lopez, to name a few. However, not all the artists accept the songs written for them, and instead of going into the trash can on Sia’s laptop, she decided to salvage some of those ignored tunes along with some originals of her own to bring us another fantastic album to follow her 6th studio album "1000 Forms of Fear" (2014). I felt uplifted and inspired by songs like “Bird Set Free” and “Reaper," danced to “House On Fire," and was deeply moved by “Broken Glass” and “Space Between." Sia’s vocal cracks add an honest, unpolished sound to many of her more vocally demanding songs, but make them sound more personal and meaningful in the same breath. Although I don't believe this album was as great as her last, I was still thoroughly impressed by this album, and look forward to hearing more of Sia’s material in the future.

#7: "The Life of Pablo" – Kanye West

The Life of Pablo was a chaotic, raw mess of an album that was authentically Kanye in every way. From the opening song, “Ultralight Beam” with its heavenly, angelic choir and West’s auto-tuned vocals, to the more polished “Famous” featuring an assortment of different artists, styles and sound bits, the entire piece was unique, significantly better than Yeezus (2013), and as dazzling and beautiful as it was confusing, aggressive, and sometimes just plain funny. I personally enjoy any artist willing to take risks, and Kanye certainly accomplished that in this bizarre project (even if it scared me sometimes).

#6: "Cleopatra" - The Lumineers

So, I REALLY love the Lumineers, especially after listening to their last self-titled project in 2012. This was a spectacular follow-up album, and for once in a long time an artist released an album that didn't disappoint after a hugely successful debut album. Of course, I loved “Ophelia” and it's wholesome folk sound that the Lumineers are known for, but the entire album helped me gain a greater appreciation for this band, and their lovely, mountain/Americana appeal. Every song was beautifully sleepy, romantic, moving, and reminiscent of something you'd listen to on a road trip with your best pals through the Applalachian mountains (as strange as that sounds). I also loved songs like “Gale Song” and “Patience” which were like the musical equivalent of the Mountain Lodge candle from Yankee Candles (yes, I really did make that comparison). After hearing this LP, I can't wait to hear what the Lumineers have in store, and hope that their quality and simplistic style doesn't change anytime soon.

#5: "Blackstar" - David Bowie

“Look up here, I’m in heaven.”

Many albums throughout previous decades have discussed the ominous, looming presence of death, but never before has death felt so real and close than in this album. As Bowie prepares for his passing while battling terminal liver cancer, he sings about his legacy, and how now he will die like a “Blackstar” and dim into oblivion. In his most powerful song (and my personal favorite) “Lazarus”, whose name alone makes an allusion to the Biblical figure who died and was raised four days later, he figuratively explains that although he may die, his music and influence will live on in the hearts and minds of his fans, family, and artists who were inspired by his style and creativity. While death alone is difficult enough, Bowie thought that in a life devoted to music, his closing remarks on life should be discussed through music too, and anyone who has ever feared death can appreciate that. Bowie’s weak, raspy voice adds an eerie, haunting tone that will haunt the listener for days after. This album is truly brave in every sense of the word, and to openly discuss his fear and eventual acceptance of his death is something that most artists wouldn't dare to do.

#4: "Death of a Bachelor" – Panic! At The Disco

This album is the definition of fun itself, and with songs like “Emperor’s New Clothes” and “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time,” it made me wish I was a twenty-something millionaire who goes to wild parties with my other socialite friends and spends days lounging in my giant mansion while living the life of my dreams. Even listening to one song on this album is enough to put anyone instantly in a good mood (except maybe Brendon Urie, since he’s the one who has to hit all those insane tenor notes). All I can say is, I hope Urie is saving up his cash now, because in 40 years there's no way he'll be able to even attempt to sing those notes without some seriously harsh vocal cracking. Still, this album begins strong with the hard-hitting single “Victorious” and ends surprisingly soft with “Impossible Year” but every song can stand alone and be a great tune to rock out to. As difficult a feat that is to accomplish, P!ATD managed to not disappoint, and produce a great, solid record.

#3: "The Divine Feminine" - Mac Miller

Miller’s ode to women, love, and beauty was definitely one of my favorites this year, and is much more psychedelic and experimental than his previous work. This album was filled with lustful sax solos, spoken work, mushy, stonery-rap, and other featured artists like Kendrick Lamar and Cee-Lo Green. I felt numbed and awed by the hypnotizing tune “Soulmate," blushed while listening to “Skin," and listened to “Dang!” on repeat for an entire week. Although jazz rap sounds like the weirdest mashup of two genres to ever meet, I thought Miller blended it perfectly in his iconic, laid back style of music that is so quintessentially his.

#2: "Lemonade" – Beyonce

From its surprise release in April, I was utterly shook by this eclectic, wide-ranging album by the Queen B herself. “Pray You Catch Me” was Bey warning us, saying “ya’ll’ll never guess what Jay did this time” and by “Sorry” we replied “LET US SNATCH BECKY’S GOOD HAIR CLEAN OFF HER NAPPY SCALP!” No two songs on this LP were the same. “Hold Up” made us jam to its groovy Reggae-inspired beat, “Don’t Hurt Yourself” made us want to jump headfirst into a mosh pit or burn down our exes' houses, and the toned down, minimalistic track “Sandcastles” made us want to lay down on the floor and cry for hours on end. But hey, when life gives you lemons, what do you do? You make some good, old-fashioned "Lemonade" (and maybe a little tea, if you know what I mean.)

#1: "'Awaken, My Love!'" – Donald Glover (AKA Childish Gambino)

If you expected Donald Glover’s typical juvenile sounding rap like his last album "Because the Internet" (2013), you were probably very confused when you turned on this record and heard something that sounded more reminiscent of the Funkadelics and other 70s soul artists. In Glover’s most mature-sounding work yet, his blending of synth, supreme bass lines, and falsetto vocals were unlike anything I had ever heard before. While listening to his single “Redbone”, I could feel the beat pulsing through my entire body, and with headphones on, it makes every song even more transcendent. I had never heard such variety of instruments before like in the songs “Terrified” and “Baby Boy," but loved his effortless blending of old and new styles of soul and neo-psychedelia. Glover was not trying at all to hide the obvious influence of classic R&B in this piece, and I am certainly grateful for this renaissance of soul music in the 2010’s.

Overall, I think this was a very diverse year for music, and I heard more experimentation and psychedelic inspiration than in previous ones. This year was also a huge year for Hip Hop, and can't wait to hear what 2017 has in store! (Politically, probably not much. Musically, hopefully a lot.)