In years past, though I claimed this to be my biased list, I compromised a few positions for albums I didn't quite enjoy but were critically acclaimed. This year, I'm returning to my selfish, hilarious roots and basing my ratings on three factors: how well the artists stick to their thesis statement (first 1 or 2 tracks), lyrical/production level, and the percentage of tracks I actually like. Prepare thyself for the best (and worst parts) of my favorite albums.
Release Date: December 9
Runtime: 44:32
From the first listen, I wanted to hate on 4 Your Eyez Only. My fake disdain for J Cole isn't as adamant as it is for Drake (Views actually is trash, tho), but that doesn't stop me from making the "this album is audio NyQuil" jokes. People have been giving him props for dropping an album with no features, but then who's the lil girl on Ville Mentality, huh? However, after talking to a friend, I listened again and realized it's another solid album from Jermaine. He comes with the same lyrical talent we expect from him, still not ashamed to shy away from record label mandated club bangers. The album works for its chill appeal. I still think he used the Exchange (Bryson Teller) sample a little too soon, but the track grows on you. Also, who knew he had a wife and daughter? This album is fairly family oriented. I guess that's what we get for sleeping on the best rapper since Dr. Seuss.
Hit Single:
none
Standout Tracks:
Ville Mentality
She's Mine Pt 1
You Can Skip It:
Foldin Clothes - because Jermaine talked about almond milk and I almost caught an intolerance for him again
15) Tinashe's Nightride
Release Date: November 4
Runtime: 51:32
Known to some as Tennis Shoe, Tinashe finally releases an album to make those people call her by the proper pronunciation of her name. Do you remember that sensual R&B from the early to middle 00s that made you want to rub your breast in a circular motion even though you might not have had any? Nightride is more or less an updated version of that vibe. Though this album doesn't have enough singles to be a commercial success, this 23 year old gets over the sophomore album hump so that you can hump someone to her music. If you prefer to hear your partner breathe during those intimate moments, it's a great album to clean the house to as well. Just vibe out and let Metro Boomin and her other producers deliver Tinashe's flourishing pop-R&B vocals to you.
Hit Single:
Party Favors
Standout Tracks:
Sunburn
Touch Pass
You Can Skip It:
Ride of Your Life - because it will take you on the ride of a throwaway single RCA probably made her record
14) Regina Spektor's Remember Us to Life (Deluxe)
Release Date: September 30
Runtime: 60:14
Everyone knows I love my white women singer-songwriters. More than not, there's always at least one on my lists. This year's spot goes to the acclaimed OITNB theme maker Ms. Spektor herself. She really has a way with words; so many times I found myself pausing on a certain phrase, my favorite probably being, "'Enjoy your youth,' sounds like a threat, but I will anyway." Her pianist skills will make you want to sway in the wind like a tree. She'll lull you to sleep while planting thoughts of reflection in your head. (Though be careful, they are some tracks that can send you into a nightmare.) But hey, if that's not your jam, she even made a diss track, well as best a diss track a singer-songwriter could make. So it's one of the best of all time; I just wish I knew who she was spittin these bars at.
Hit Single:
Bleeding Heart
Standout Tracks:
Older and Taller
Small Bill$
You Can Skip It:
Grand Hotel - because she forgot to make is about Wes Anderson's latest masterpiece
Release Date: October 21
Runtime: 53:25
You ever wonder what if T-Pain made a comeback with less autotune and more rapping but still came with the oddly-soothing vocals? Well that's why this dude Does Real Ass Music. (Yes, that's what D.R.A.M. stands for.) I won't lie, when Drake stole D.R.A.M.'s Cha Cha shine last year, I feared he might not even reach the one-hit wonder success I foresaw for him. Luckily, D.R.A.M. doesn't let up, giving us one of the best songs of the summer (which is now Grammy nominated). This debut album is leaps and bounds better than his mixtape #1Epic, and it'll have you walking up to your crush with a slanted two-step as you rap-sing to them. My only critique is that he talked far too much about smartphone culture to not have named this album something more tech-related, but I'm a forgiving lover of music.
Hit Single:
Broccoli [feat Lil Yachty]
Standout Tracks:
WiFi [feat Erykah Badu]
Cute
You Can Skip It:
Misunderstood [feat Young Thug] - because it's too hard a track for an album called Big Baby
Release Date: February 26
Runtime: 73:55
It wouldn't be a "best of" list without an album with a really long title from a pop-rock band, but this title couldn't be anymore spot on. In fact, it wins the coveted "Thesis Award" from me. From their lead single "Love Me," I expected the 1975's debut album to be super angsty rock disguised as pop music. And maybe that album was, but this is their sophomore album and judging from NME's ratings they win the "Most Improved" award as well. Instead I Like It When... features many endearing tells of the heart and instrumental tracks perfect for NYU's and MICA's student art films, though there are still its fair share of electrical moments. Matthew Healy's lead vocals are more angelic than I predicted them to be, especially when backed by a choir. Clocking in at 73:55, it's one of the longest albums on the list, though with better editing it could have been higher on the list.
Hit Single:
Love Me
Standout Tracks:
Ughh!!!
If I Believe You
Loving Someone
You Can Skip It:
Paris - because it's an average "remember those times we had" track they could have kept for their B-sides
Release Date: October 7
Runtime: 36:53
So there's this one bar/venue I love in Baltimore called Ottobar that's basically a mix of hipsters, grunge rockers, and the occasional black people. If Phantogram performed nothing but this album, the show would more than likely sell out. If you close your eyes, you can easily imagine yourself in a dark room with strobe lights flashing as you dance with next to no rhythm without a care to half of these tracks. The other way I could best describe Three is as a giant bonfire that burns between your ears. Often I forget Phantogram is more than just Sarah Barthel, but when Josh Carter joins her vocally, I'm reminded of his wonderful production skills throughout the album. If you're looking for an album to hold you over til the next XX release, this is a more than a great alternative.
Hit Single:
You Don't Get Me High Anymore
Standout Tracks:
Cruel World
You're Mine
You Can Skip It:
Calling All - because it's hard to tell what it's a slut shaming or sex positive song, but you'll still want to dance to it
Release Date: November 11
Runtime: 60:16
I'm not sure if anyone ever expected another A Tribe Called Quest album, well with them disbanding a few years ago and Phife Dawg dying this year. However, the whole crew had been lurking in the shadows all year, cooking up one of the best hip-hop albums of the year. Still featuring verses from Phife, Q-Tip and Jarobi enlist the entire woke hiphop community to help them with this latest release, calling upon Busta Rhymes and Consequence the most. Some might call the two the unsung heroes of this album. Though, all the guests can be considered unsung as A Tribe Called Quest chose to make them all temporary members of the group and not list anyone as featured. If you love revived 90s hiphop and creative ways to talk about today's issues, you're going to love this album. You might even find a wild Outkast member hiding in the love below.
Hit Single:
We The People
Standout Tracks:
Space Program
Kids...
Mobius
You Can Skip It:
The Donald - because it's a reference to Donald Trump and we don't need to be reminded of him anymore than we have to be
Release Date: May 6
Runtime: 76:13
My favorite trance-inducing, alabaster prince has returned! There's just something about the way James Blake ramps up his tracks that gets me every time. In a year that was hard to see the brightside, he made me able to see The Colour in Anything. Okay, but all corny jokes aside, this is another great album about love lost and dealing with it and deciding if it's worth recapturing. His third album, it is by far the longest he's ever recorded. At times, you can almost notice how much of a task it was for him to stretch his emotions over 17 tracks, but he manages to pull you back in before he treats you with a guest spot from Bon Iver. It's like having two therapeutic sandmen battle over who wants to tuck you in; it shouldn't feel as comforting as it does but it just does. Feel free to body roll through your listening experience.
Hit Single:
Modern Soul
Standout Tracks:
Radio Silence
Two Men Down
You Can Skip It:
Meet You in the Maze - because by the end of the album, you get that he likes the accordion effect on his voice
Release Date: November 18
Runtime: 33:28
Have you ever wanted a 5'5" Hawaiian man to sing you sweet nothings in the style of your favorite 90s artists? Well, Bruno Mars has you covered. Even before he worked with Mark Ronson on "Uptown Funk," we all knew the little man was a hit maker, but this album takes his abilities to a whole new level as he gives us some of the best choruses of his career. Need I saw no more than, "Throw some perm on your attitude; girl you gotta relax. Let me show you what you got to do, you gotta lay it back!" This is honestly one of those albums you can throw on from start to finish and dance/lip sync the whole way through. He even gives you an interlude while channelling his inner Michael Jackson, allowing you a moment to throw your lovely on the closest flat surface. 24k Magic just makes me anxious for summer to return.
Hit Single:
24K Magic
Standout Tracks:
Perm
Calling All My Lovelies
You Can Skip It:
Straight Up & Down - because it's actually not that good to bump & grind to, though I don't know nothin' 'bout that...
Release Date: December 2
Runtime: 48:57
This is not a rap album; I repeat, this is not a rap album. This is the revival of psychedelic soul you didn't know you urgently needed. Is your mind blown like that .gif of Troy from Community? Donald Glover has long been a man of many talents, producing and singing being among them. There were many times when I found myself in disbelief that it was actually him singing on the track, as it feels like a soul collective coming together to deliver a sound they've worked on for months. With not a single rapped lyric on the album, "'Awaken, My Love'" is a collection of tracks that explores Gambino's more love oriented side as he uses the music of the ancestors to communicate those feelings. Upon your first listen, his techniques can feel a little forced, but once you surrender yourself to the funk, all will feel right.
Hit Single:
Redbone
Standout Tracks:
California
Zombies
You Can Skip It:
Have Some Love - because it's here that he tries his hardest to embody the spirit of the funk and it could be what turns folks away from the rest of the tracks
Release Date: February 14
Runtime: 66:39
Oh look, it's my (very) problematic fav. Doing my duty as a loyal fan and temporarily disregarding my role as a responsible citizen, I'll have to overlook Mr. West's past transgressions and give him his props. When The Life of Pablo first dropped, I called it my least favorite Kanye album, but even his worst is better than other people's best efforts. Even when he gives us disgusting lyrics about getting bleach on his t-shirt, I have to admire him for keeping us talking and giving us memorable lines. He gives us a vaguely hiphop-gospel album while reminding us he's still the cocky, vile human being he's evolved into. (A quick thanks to Chance the Rapper for the best verse of the album.) However, I'm most disappointed in Mr. West for giving us an incomplete album and disguising it as innovation by constantly "evolving" his album. With everything he's done recently, I'm not sure if I'll be able to listen to any future Yeezy albums, but I do know for a fact that I miss the Old Kanye.
Hit Single:
Fade (feat Post Malone & Ty Dolla $ign)
Standout Tracks:
Ultralight Beam (feat Chance the Rapper & 'em)
No More Parties in L.A. (feat Kendrick Lamar)
You Can Skip It:
Waves (feat Chris Brown) - because who hires Breezy to record a hook for them anymore; f**kbois, that's who
Release Date: January 28
Runtime: 50:56
Long my favorite billy goat, Rihanna has finally evolved past just one of my favorite online presences. With this album, she finally gives us an album instead of a collection of singles and filler tracks. It is by far her most cohesive body of work, and through her single chart toppings somewhat suffered because of it, "Work" more than made up for it. Many of the tracks feature a distorted sound that works great for her vocal abilities and flair. I finally found myself wanting to single along to her music. I knew this was one of my favorite albums when during the times I cancelled my Apple Music subscription, I felt the urge to listen to Anti. She also managed to beautifully cover one of my favorite songs of 2015 "Same Ol' Mistakes" by Tame Impala. By the way, if anyone has a mashup of both versions, please send it my way.
Hit Single:
Work (feat. Drake)
Standout Tracks:
Needed Me
Sex With Me
You Can Skip It:
Closer to You - because while Rihanna's vocals are definitely improving, piano ballads are still not her friend
Release Date: May 6
Runtime: 59:08
Kaytranada is not his high on the list because he's a queer-negro from Montreal; he just happens to be a queer-negro from Montreal and on this list. He's an amazing producer who's been giving us the best remixes via Soundcloud the past three years, and his debut album was long awaited. This is yet another album you can throw on from start to finish and vibe/drive/dance/clean/alltheabove to. Except for one instance, every track seamlessly flows into the next, whether there be a featured artist on it or not. Speaking of, Kay was able to pull in all of the best up and coming names like Goldlink, Anderson Paak., and Syd while pulling in some names we haven't heard from in a while. Ya'll, he made Craig David hot again. I cared about a Craig David song in 2016. If that doesn't signal to you how essential to music this young man is, I don't know what will.
Hit Single:
Glowed Up (feat Anderson .Paak)
Standout Tracks:
Lite Spots
Drive Me Crazy (feat Vic Mensa)
You Can Skip It:
Track Uno - only because Kay couldn't think of a better title
Release Date: May 13
Runtime: 57:14
Even though Chance proclaims he's "the only nigga still care about mixtapes," Coloring Book is an album, and don't let Chance try to tell you otherwise. This album is so good, that even as an independent artist, he received a Grammy nomination for it. Though very feature heavy, Coloring Book still allows Chancellor to flourish as the skillful lyricist and raspy singer he is. Why do you think he only used Kanye for the hook of his album's intro? He only needed the cosign; also he might not have been able to afford the verse since he stayed true to himself and gave this album out for free. With topics ranging from losing friends, loving his daughter, Peter Pan, and asking people for gas money, this gospel-delic rap album is like food for the soul. If being this positive in your music is wrong, I don't wanna be right. Where's my choir robe?!
Hit Single:
Angels (feat Saba)
Standout Tracks:
Summer Friend (feat Jeremih & Francis & the Lights)
Same Drugs
You Can Skip It:Blessings (2) - only because Chance decided to confuse me when my iPod is on shuffle
Release Date: September 30
Runtime: 51:43
And the award for "Blackest Album of the Year" goes to... pop vocalist, Solange Knowles! When you have a track titled "F.U.B.U." it's hard not to acquire that accolade. Solange's soulful voice has grown into its final form as she gives us the best album of her career. A Seat at the Table invites all into the conversation of what it means to be black in America and trying to prosper through the forgotten art of the interlude. Featuring short accounts from her parents and multiple from rap mogul Master P, Solange follows up each one with a song so good it leaves you wondering whether the chicken or the egg came first. The-Dream, Sampha, and others lend their producing talents while Tweet, Raphael Saadiq, Kelly Rowland, and Andre 3000 hide behind the backing vocals of many of the songs. (That's right, Tweet's back and she don't plan on leaving!) This album, most of all, is about self-love and -care, and if you don't understand that, Master P and I will get the Avon Lady to pop the trunk on you.
Hit Single:
Cranes in the Sky
Standout Tracks:
Mad (feat Lil Wayne)
F.U.B.U. (feat The-Dream & B.J. the Chicago Kid)
You Can Skip It:
Scales (feat Kelela) - only because it's a grower (not a show-er) and reminds you that the album is almost over
Release Date: April 23
Runtime: 45:49
Gurl. Duh. Like, c'mon. You should have guessed this as soon as Big Freedia came on the single version of "Formation" and "told ya'll, I did not come to play with you hoes. I came to slay, bitch." Beyoncé is one of the best singers and entertainers of our generation. She knows when to innovate and change the game, and she did that by premiering her album as an hour long visual special on HBO. It inspired both black women and Jay-Z reaction memes.
Her vocal game is still as tight as ever. Starting from her opening pseudo-ballad about suspicions to her hopeful outlook for the future on "All Night," Beyonce gives us another honest look inside her life as she explores infidelity, her relationship with her father, and finding strength in a world that wants to break you down. The impact this album has transcended blackness; even white men recognize the greatness that is Lemonade. The slander Beyonce spews over "Sorry" and "Don't Hurt Yourself" is wonderful. The charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent she shares on "6 Inch" leaves people in awe. Her Cajun country song still has haters in their feelings.
It's at times like these I wonder when will Beyoncé ever stop forcing me to place her on top of my list. But then I think again and I am thankful for the opportunity to have her grace me with her presence once again.
Hit Single:
Formation
Standout Tracks:
Sorry
Love Drought
You Can Skip It:
Forward (feat James Blake) - only because it features the fewest Beyonce vocals; shout out to James Blake the Porcelain-Skinned Gawd
Honorable Mentions
Blood Orange's Freetown Sound
Bon Iver's 22, A Million
Frank Ocean's Blonde
Lady Gaga's Joanne
Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool
Young Thug's Jeffery
Yup, this was one good ass year for black music. Or maybe it was just a very good year to embrace my blackness? Either way, it's been lit, ya'll. If you'd like to check out my past lists, you can check them out here: 2015, 2014, and 2013. Til next year, stay boppin.
Word
[I made an Apple Music Playlist of all the Standout Tracks here. Enjoy.]
