My Favorite Mixtapes, EPs, and Singles of 2015

Everyone and their cool aunt has an opinion on the best albums of the year, and I'm no exception. I, unlike most people, like to reserve that judgment for the last day of the year. However, there's been an overflow of good tunes this year, so I'm spotlighting a few of my favorites. This is by no means a fully inclusive list, only what I've come across during my travels. But feel free to yell at me in the comments anyway.


D.R.A.M. - Cha Cha

Being the reckless 20-something I am, I often go out on Tuesday nights. One Tuesday night this Spring, I visited the Ottobar and DJ played this jam. It hooked me hit there and then as I shazam'd it. For years, I've wanted someone to sample the Nintendo Wii Shop Channel music. D.R.A.M.'s bombastic charm is what carries the song, tho. His love to Cha Cha inspires you to do the same, even after Nintendo forced them to alter the beat once it gain notoriety. It was well on track to becoming the song of the summer.

Drake - Hotline Bling

Then everyone's favorite light-skinned Canadian slowed things down and hopped on the track. It sucked for the indie artist D.R.A.M. - receiving next to no shout outs from the 6 god - but it provided everyone else with the true song of the summer. Drake stayed true to his "save-a-girl" antics by sing-crooning. The magnitude of this record only escalated with the release of the video (where Drake cha-cha's!). Being the trendsetter that he is, Drake went on to influence others to mimic his dance moves and to release covers of his track.

Erykah Badu - But You Caint Use My Phone

Without a doubt, Ms Badu's cover of Hotline Bling (now called Cel U Lar Device) was by far the best I heard, as she even took the time to add a breakdown for all the losers trying to contact her. A month later, she revealed she had inspired herself to create a mixtape. We have since been blessed with But You Caint Use My Phone: a tribute to phone- and calling-centric songs. She begins with a nod to her live classic Call Tyrone and moves on to cover hits like Usher's U Don't Have to Call and New Edition's Mr Telephone. Smooth interludes and uncredited features accompany the mixtape. The most notable feature comes in the form of Ms Badu's ex - Andre 3000 - on the tape's last track Hello, a tribute to the Isley Bros' track Hello, It's Me. A 3000 verse never goes unappreciated, and it's clear the two still work well together.

Ellie Goulding - Take Me to Church (cover)

Hozier also motivated others to mimic his tune Take Me to Church. If you could find your way past Youtube and find Soundcloud, you would have discovered Ellie Goulding's cover. Enchanting is an understatement. Where Hozier's version is enthralling, Goulding's is mesmerizing. The addition of a semi-danceable beat (read: bass) doesn't hurt either.

Janelle Monae - Yoga (ft Jidenna)

Ms Monae will forever be my homegirl. Yoga is without a doubt a detour from her Cindi Mayweather storyline, but even the best storytellers need a break to stretch and have fun. Had she created an actual dance to go along with the song, it might have had the crossover appeal to become a bonafide song of the summer. It's odd that the line "Get off my areola" wasn't enough to do that. Jidenna's verse is nice as well. His song Classic Man almost made my list until I realized it was a fuckboy anthem in sheep's clothing.

Alessia Cara - Here

Kendrick Lamar once warned everyone to not kill his vibe. Alessia Cara wishes to abide and just go the hell home. Never have I heard an introvert anthem come across so well. (The Portishead sample doesn't hurt.) But even then, the song is more than that. It's about recognizing a space as not your scene and not wanting to put up with it anymore. It's an anthem for those seeking to not waste time. If only she had slipped a line about Tumblr in there.

FKA Twigs - M3LL155X

My love for FKA is no secret. I find her sound refreshing. With her third EP, pronounced Melissa, she channel's her feminine energy into an eargasm. The EP impregnates you with a monster you can't quite shake. The five tracks take you on a journey of sexual awakening, with a slight detour into the vogue lane during Glass & Patron. It just makes me yearn for more of her work.


Mac Demarco - Another One

Demarco is still new to me, so I'm a sucker for his smooth vibes. On the somehow not DJ Khaled inspired EP Another One, Mac sings through his gap teeth about a girl who might be the one. The beats are slick, and the guitar is pleasant. After watching a few interviews of his (the one on Complex with Shamir is particularly entertaining), I'm a bit more inclined to take Mac up on that cup of coffee.



Gallant - Weight in Gold

I won't lie, with the likes of Timberlake, Bieber, and Sam Smith running around, I totally expected Gallant to by a white guy from Vermont. Turns out he's actually a black guy from Columbia, MD. Either way, Weight in Gold is a beautiful song that's more chorus than verses, but what few lyrics there are hit hard as a relationship sounds like it's coming to an end. You'll find yourself losing yourself more and more in Gallant's high notes as the song progresses.

Adele - Hello

Speaking of emotional, Adele returned. Obviously she'll be on my best albums list, but where will she land? What makes Hello a great single is it's simplicity, allowing people everywhere to connect and sing along. Adele has grown as a person, and although she didn't know how starved we all were for her return, she managed to produce a song that reminds us of 21 while sounding fresh. This isn't Adele's best song, but her return to music after years of silence makes it a new stable in her catalog.

Missy Elliott- WTF

Speaking of comebacks, Misdemeanor's is in the building. With a song and video that are very reminiscent of Work It, Missy gives the people the dance-filled lyrics and energy they were looking for. Collaborating with her VA brother Pharrell was an obvious choice and a smart one. If we're lucky, maybe Timbaland will take a break from Empire and help Missy with her next album.

Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole's Black Friday(s)

Black Friday is usually a popular day for artists to drop surprise projects. This year, hip hop's rising greats Kendrick and J. Cole decided to rap on each others beats, A Tale of 2 Citiez and Alright, respectively. Both murdered each other's beats. J Cole rapped like he had finally woken up and reminded everyone while he's one of the best, while Kendrick took A Tale of Citiez to new levels. Cole hinted at a new project possibly being realized during Black History Month, but I suppose only time will tell.

If you expected What a Time to Be Alive on my list, sorry. It's not really my jam, but I do recognize it as an instant hood classic. May you all Jumpman to your heart's content. See you guys for my end of the year album review.

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