mood: “melandramente (feat. Nandinho & Nego Bam)” by Dennis
Someone once said, “2016 bad movie soundtrack.”
I have little hope that 2017 will be much better (DON’T TAKE THIS AS A CHALLENGE TO BE WORSE, 2017; SURPRISE ME BY MAKING ME WRONG), but at least we’re getting out of this year with some pretty dope music. In no particular order, here’s a list of the best musical releases and discoveries of 2016 for me.
1. Starboy – The Weeknd
Republic - 2016
Either you love him or you think he's trying too hard to sound like Michael Jackson, but I think Abel Tesfaye was on to something here with this one. He’s come a long way from his 2011 House of Balloons, Thursday, Echoes of Silence mixtape days, which to me seemed just a smidge too experimental. (I think I might have enjoyed those way more than I did if I were into lying on the floor in the middle of my room tripping off drug du jour.) My favorites from this album include, “Starboy” (because Daft Punk), “Party Monster,” “Sidewalks” (because rhythm) and “Six Feet Under.”
2. A Seat at the Table – Solange
Saint/Columbia - 2016
Solange took it there. She sat it down at the table. She made it eat all of its vegetables before it could get up, just as your mother did you when you were a child. This album couldn’t have come at a better time. She set to music not just her thoughts (seriously, you should probably follow her on Twitter as a lot of what she sings about on this album is what she has tweeted about at some point before), but also the thoughts of so many Black Americans in this country. It is arguably her best work. If you thought she was just Beyoncé’s little sister before, you definitely didn’t think so after listening. My favorites from this album are: “Rise,” “Mad (feat. Lil’ Wayne),” “Don’t Touch My Hair,” “F.U.B.U. (ft. The-Dream & BJ The Chicago Kid),” “Don’t Wish Me Well,” and “Scales (feat. Kelela).”
3. ANTI – Rihanna
Roc Nation/Westbury Road - 2016
I haven’t been any sort of Rihanna fan since her Good Girl Gone Bad days. I can only take so much of musical sounds through the nose. ANTI was released and I sampled the songs on iTunes, as I do normally. I realized after the first song, “Consideration,” that Rihanna was probably on to something. I realized right. I don’t know if I like ANTI more than Good Girl Gone Bad, but it’s definitely up there. My favorites are “Consideration,” “Woo,” “Same Ol’ Mistakes,” and “Goodnight Gotham.”
4. Awaken, My Love – Childish Gambino
Glassnote - 2016
I wasn’t expecting this album at all. I’m not the biggest fan of Childish Gambino, although Donald Glover’s show Atlanta is A-1 to me. I think the reason I appreciate this album so much and want to include it in this list is because it came during a time when I was bored with my iTunes playlist. Also, I needed distractions from news about y’all’s new president and the country that helped him get elected. It’s not exactly the kind of sound I go for when listening to music, but that’s exactly what you need to spice up your playlist. The faves are: the first half of “Me And Your Mama,” “California” and “Terrified.”
5. Darkness and Light – John Legend
Columbia - 2016
Like Childish Gambino’s I wasn’t expecting this album either. I don’t know, it just wasn’t on my radar. Regardless, I appreciated it because again, y’all’s president and that country. He has quite a few slow songs and slow songs just aren’t my speed, but Legend’s voice is a classic. I like “Darkness and Light,” “Overload (feat. Miguel)” and “What You Do To Me.
6. Views – Drake
Cash Money/Young Money Entertainment - 2016
PSYCH. Ain’t nobody got time to listen to 30-leven songs on one album! In place of this one, I’ve decided to do a throwback album that I found this summer.
Actual 6. Brasileiro – Sergio Mendes
Elektra Records - 1992
I decided to learn Portuguese this year because I’m determined to make my next trip out of the country one to Brazil. When I googled popular Brazilian artists and music, he and his came up. Almost every song is upbeat and even though you may not understand the lyrics, you know it’s about sunshine, love and pure unadulterated fun *cough CARNAVAL *cough*. This 1992 album was the soundtrack to my summer in preparation for the 31st Olympiad, and fun fact: I’ve known one of the songs (“Magalenha”) since high school, thanks to my obsession with YouTube videos and another (“What Is This?”) since middle school. All but one are my absolute favorites, so it’s really hard to choose but, IF I HAAAAD TO, they would be “Fanfarra (Cabua-Le-Le),” “Lua Soberana,” “Indiado,” “Senhoras Do Amazonas,” and “Magano.”
7. Lemonade – Beyoncé
Columbia/Parkwood - 2016
What. An. Album. I was celebrating a friend’s birthday the weekend “Formation” dropped. Neither one of us were huge fans of the artist, although I’m willing to credit her as the greatest live performer of my time. I was so happy to see everyone’s fave really go there on the social issues facing the people in this country. I had high hopes after seeing the video and sitting with the lyrics. I was not disappointed. Lemonade was the highlight of my spring semester of graduate school. I went on a trip with my friends to a lakefront house near Missouri just before defending my thesis (bold move, I know). I woke up before everyone else because I slept on a couch that was shorter than my legs are, so I listened to this album to entertain myself. Played it three times through, straight. It jams that hard. The songs that get the most play are “Hold Up,” “Sorry,” “6 Inch feat. The Weeknd” and “Formation.”
8. Hip Hop & R&B Christmas Gold – Various Artists
Alliance Entertainment - 2016
Y’all. YOU. ALL. When you put what you want out into the universe, it sure will provide. I had been thinking and saying that there wasn’t enough hip hop Christmas songs and on 28 October 2016, the heavens cracked open and dropped this album. It features artists like Cam’ron, Chingy, Khia, Ying Yang Twins, Blu Cantrell and tons of other washed up, Y2K-era faves. Songs that kept 2016 from being a total loss: “Deck the Halls,” “Ho, Ho, Ho,” and “Santa Baby Rap.”
9. Da Rocinha 3 – Sango
Sango Design
This album, which celebrates Brazil and the creativity that emerges out of its slums (called “favelas” in Rio), is also a precious gem. The songs are a mashup of hip-hop and Brazilian funk. Rocinha (pronounced ho-SEEN-ya) is the largest favela in the city of Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro state. If you’ve ever seen the motion picture Rio, the little boy who was responsible for birdnapping Blu and Jewel lived in Rocinha. It can often be hard for areas such as this one to be seen positively, so the aim of this album, according to Sango, was to shine positive light on it. Your eardrums would love “Tamborzão (Intro),” “Agorinha,” and “Vai Rain (feat. Marvel Alexander)” probably as much as mine do
10. Mind of Mine – Zayn
RCA - 2016
I’m told Zayn belonged to a group. Which is fine. But did this group sound like he does on his debut solo album? Because Zayn sang. DOWN. This was another unexpected album from an artist I wasn’t checking for. I’m glad I appreciate music for exactly what it is (unless its country; or heavy metal; or blue grass). It means I don’t have to worry about missing out on projects like this one. The bangers on this one include “PILLOWTALK,” “iT’s YoU” and “fOoL fOr YoU.”
Have you listened to any of these this year? No? Do yourself a favor. Do you think there’s one I forgot? We can probably add it. This list didn’t *have* to be 10. Comment below!