2016, being the roller coaster that it is, has actually been a great year for music. Between Beyonce's Lemonade and Frank Ocean's Blonde, it is hard to say which is our favorite. To end the year on a high note, here are 10 albums that have released this year and why we love them so much.
1. When Life Gives You Lemons... "Lemonade"
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When Beyonce first dropped her single "Formation", the world was left in awe. That one song brought quite a lot of controversy to social media. It was the first song that we had seen in a while that brought awareness to several social issues, highlighting the police brutality that had been spiking at the time (#BlackLivesMatter). As if "Formation" wasn't good enough, Beyonce released Lemonade in April as a visual album on HBO – once again, turning the the world into her beehive.
2. "Views", from the 6...
Drake, although always a common topic of conversation, was slightly more popular this year thanks to his feud with Meek Mill a.k.a "Twitter Fingers". The two dropped singles dissing each other, and as expected, Drake won. Drake then released Views, a tribute to his come up in Canada, featuring his #1 single "Hotline Bling" and popular leaked songs "Controlla" and "One Dance" – and it was nothing short of greatness.
3. Frank Ocean is... "Blonde"
Well not really...
After going missing in action after releasing Channel Orange in 2012, Frank Ocean is back. There were several false release dates thrown about in social media that had continued to disappoint fans these past few years. But when Frank posted a live stream of him building a staircase and Blonde playing the background, we knew what was to come – and we hoped it was soon. Blonde was released late August and quickly became #1.
4. "ANTI"
Rihanna never fails to exceed expectations. Between being a fashion icon and an unapologetic singer, she dominates the industry. Earlier in the year, Rihanna released her pop album ANTI, which featured her hit song "Work" ft. beloved Drake. ANTI is full of emotion and empowerment, and is effortlessly amazing.
5. "The Divine Feminine"... Oh, yes.
When Mac Miller released The Divine Feminine in September, who knew it would be just as divine as the title? The album is essentially an ode to women – their forms, and energy. The album is listed as a hip hop release, but there are many genres infused. The album is soul, jazz and hip hop all together. Truly a masterpiece.
6. Sometimes all you need is a "Coloring Book"...
Chance the Rapper released what was considered the "richest" hip hop album of 2016 in early May. After having been featured on Kanye West's The Life of Pablo, he showed us more of his talent in Coloring Book. The album features several popular artists such as Future, Justin Bieber, Kanye, and more. Gospel is the backbone of this hip hop album, proving Chance stays true to what he believes in.
7. "The Life of Pablo"
#Kanye2020
After many, many name changes, Kanye finally released The Life of Pablo in February. Who is Pablo? A West alias? Who knows, with Kanye, being the interesting person that he is. The album is nothing short of Kanye's creative intuition.
8. "A Seat at the Table"
Along with her sister, Solange sat at the table of Black Girl Magic. Her album, A Seat at the Table, explored what it is like to be black in America through soul and rhythm & blues. Nothing but realness.
9. "Starboy"
Although having just been released in late November, Starboy has easily made it to the list of great albums in 2016. Similar to his previous work, Abel brings life to R&B with his soulful tracks and many features from other great artists such as Lana Del Rey and Kendrick Lamar.
10. "Here", last but not least...
Alicia Keys not only made a statement with her decision not to wear makeup and embrace her natural self, but with her new album Here. The album is completely raw emotion and inspires hope and change for the world we live in.
The list of great music that was released this year goes on, so do not be fooled into thinking these were the only ones. If you have yet to hear any of the albums mentioned, you might want to get to it. 2017 will be here shortly, and that is a new year for new music. While many of our favorite artists have released albums, there are still a few to release before the new year rings in. Keep on the lookout for artists such as J. Cole, Kid Cudi and others.
