Favourites of 2016: The Return of the Album
This list is many things. New songs and artists. A snapshot of what caught my ear and moved my soul. And reconnecting with old friends. When I think of 2013 I think of Yeezus. 2014 was the year of women artists. 2015 was the year of surprise albums drops and blasting through them. We digested projects as if they were checkpoints. When I think of 2016 I think of albums making a proper comeback. Albums that refuse to be ignored after a week or after the next big one drops. Albums represented everything this year, we had perfection (Lemonade), DLC (The Life of Pablo), return and disappearance (Blonde), heat check (Awaken, My Love), mixtapes (Coloring Book), proving ground (Malibu and Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight), catharsis (The Altar and A Seat at the Table), a time machine (We got it From Here…Thank You 4 Your service), record breakers and superstardom (Views and Starboy), and hopefully resurrection (Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’).
Because of this focus I only have one cover and three remixes on the list. It’s diverse and shows that one of the best things about 2016 was the music made. This is what an anti-Trump world looks like.
For those unfamiliar with the rules: the song must have been released in 2016. Only one song per artist. And if you were number one a previous year you cannot be number one again. Call this the Kanye rule. I’ll keep my explanations short for each song because you’re not going to like a song just because I like it. Our way of communicating with music is all different. I can’t tell you what to listen to, I only can show you what I like.
One more important note: my favourite doesn’t mean the best or the most important. Sometimes you can enjoy a song unapologetically and without baggage. And best doesn’t always mean most important or vice versa. Have I confused you? Good because this list is 100% subjective. I missed a song you love? Let me know. I don’t listen to everything, if I did I’d have an even harder time narrowing the list down to 50. This is my favourite post each year. Enjoy.
Group P: Trophies
50. Hold Up — Beyonce
49. Hello Cover — KROY
One of the biggest albums of 2015 up against, in my opinion, the best album of 2016 at this year’s Grammy’s? Is Connor McGregor on the card too? Whatever happens, we can agree there are no losers.
48. Wrote My Way Out — Nas, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Aloe Blacc
Is there anything Lin-Manuel Miranda can’t do? The credits on the Hamilton Mixtape could double as an All-NBA team of music. I’m sure for most people, Lin owned 2016 with Hamilton on stage and the mixtape, Moana, and his speech at the Tony Awards. All valid and important. However for me, Lin isn’t the creator who has owned the most mediums in 2016. With all the rightful praise that’s been thrown Lin’s way I don’t think he’ll mind. Who’s the mystery creator? Keep reading to find out.
Group N: Runaway
47. Looking For Something — Jerreau
Got an existential crisis? Jerreau feels you. “Looking For Something” is a song about soul searching and not knowing what you’re looking for. It would sound sad if the hook wasn’t so damn catchy. At the end of the song he doesn’t have answers. Only the hope that you have new questions to ask.
I been looking for something
I don’t know what it is, I ain’t found it yet
I won’t stop for nothing
I don’t know what it is, when my mind is set
I can’t stop for nothing, I can’t stop for nothing
I hope it’s not in vein, and it’s not for nothing
Group M: Pop Noir
46. bordeaux — Ava Wolfe
The good news is Ava Wolfe released an album this year. Better news — it’s free to download. With Casablanca Ava pays homage to her influences and does her best to transport you there. This is an album that allows her to confront her fears, touch her desires, and sing the things she’s afraid to say. In our world of digital Ava exists in a haze of black and white.
Group L: You Were Born to Build
45. Women Is A Word — Empress Of
This should be the feminist equivalent to Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” for Black Lives Matter. Empress Of’s advice to young girls: “You push yourself to do anything that you wanna do; push a button, or turn a knob, or press record.”
Group K: Core Principals
44. Rudimental — Moxie Raia ft. Jimi Tents
The first song from Moxie’s debut mixtape 931. She presents a song to break you down to your elements before building her story through the mixtape. As she explains her inspiration for the song, “It’s about washing those layers off and going back to who we were when we were born. It’s especially personal to me because the song was inspired by children I mentor who have taught me so much.”
I’m not going to lie I never thought much of Jaden Smith before 2016. His song with Ta-Ku last year was cool but didn’t make me review my thoughts of him. Then he was cast as Dizzee on The Get Down. The young, attractive, and woke Dizzee made me realize his character wasn’t far off from the actor playing him. Dizzee’s the rebel with soul, the graffiti artist who doesn’t care about fame as much as about creating. If you haven’t yet, go watch the music video to “Fallen.” You won’t regret and maybe it might stop looking at Jaden as simply Will’s crazy kid who made that one terrible movie with him.
Group J: Mix It Up
42. Summer — Innanet James
How many times has a girl been compared to summer? Does it matter? Innanet James put his two cents on the metaphor and crashes summer through your speakers every time “Summer” comes on.
41. Pick Up The Phone — Young Thug & Travis Scott ft. Quavo
Young Thug may seem weird to some but there’s no doubt he’s having a blast. Hearing Travis and him on the track together makes you wish that they did an album together. This will sound like hyperbole but if they did do an album I think it could feel like OutKast. How? Young Thug could be as experimental as he wants because he has Travis holding everything else down, not unlike Andre and Big Boi back in the day.
Sometimes you like a song because it makes you happy. “40 Funk” is one of those songs for me. Add all the basketball references that Post throws in and there’s no doubt this song makes this list. After listening to this song go check out his interview with First We Feast and laugh as Post eats hot wings. And listen to this song once more and you’ll realize if we’re not having as much fun as Post then the joke is on us.
39. GOOD — STIMULUS
I was introduced to good through COLORS BERLIN. My goodness is this man smooth but damn does he have bars. Let his voice take you away. He’s good and he hopes that you are too.
38. Smoke & Retribution — Flume ft. Vince Staples & Kucka
Did you know that “Smoke & Retribution” wasn’t supposed to have a rap in it? The song would have been fine without it but there’s no way it would be on this list without the visceral feel that Vince adds. No doubt this song warmed more than a few get-togethers, parties, and nights in through winter.
37. Uber Everywhere TrapMoneyBenny Remix — MADEINTYO
36. Love$ick — Mura Masa ft. A$AP Rocky
Two out of the three remixes on this year’s list. The remix to “Uber Everywhere” infuses the song with urgency and gives it subtle bounce to make it feel like spring. Who knew I would enjoy a song about rolling up to the VIP in an Uber so much? But what else could it be?
I’m sure there have been other examples of the perfect remix but hearing “Love$ick” the first time I thought the original was an unfinished song. A$AP Rocky continues to prove that he’ll always be the coolest in the class.
Group I: Strange Spell
35. Woman — HONNE
It might be impossible for HONNE to make a bad song. They released this song two days before Valentine’s Day as a thank you for women. Listen to this song and call your mom, your girlfriend, your friends, cousins, sisters, grandma, all the women and say thank you.
34. PRBLMS — 6LACK
My favourite time to drive is late at night when most of the roads are clear. I can pretend I’m in a movie and the music playing is my soundtrack. The darker the song sounds the better. You can bet 6LACK’s Free 6LACK will be added to my late night playlist. Do yourself a favour and do the same.
33. My Willing Heart — James Blake
When you think of James Blake, powerful doesn’t come to mind right away. “My Willing Heart” is powerful. It is a rumble. When his voice hits you need to grab something to steady yourself. “My Willing Heart” hits you and all you can do is absorb it.
Group H: Team Cozy
32. Leave You Lonely — Tara Carosielli
If you want to fall in love with a song that has a repeating chorus, forget “Panda” and embrace this song. Tara’s voice will carry you. She uses a break up and heartbreak as a victory chant. You cannot help but root for her.
31. Meet In The Middle — Ta-Ku ft. Wafia
30. Wat’s Wrong — Isaiah Rashard ft. Zacari & Kendrick Lamar
Both of these songs were initially lower on this list in earlier drafts. Then I listened to them and thought I was crazy to have them so low. “Meet In The Middle” is a song about expanding your horizons by inviting someone new into your world. In my opinion, this is Ta-Ku at his best and if you didn’t know Ta-Ku is a master of sound.
Isaiah opens the song detailing his struggles and hardships. In verse two Kendricks raps back a pep talk for his TDE dude. Kendrick appears later on this list but this was my favourite verse by him this year.
29. Porcelain — Skott
I first heard of Skott because she was co-signed by Lorde. She is still batting 100 because she is 100% right with Skott. “Porcelain” is the shit. Her voice cuts like a blade and the autotuned children’s choir is the catchiest choir of 2016. Skott describes where she drew inspiration of “Porcelain” from:
“I wrote ‘Porcelain’ at a time in my life when I was really scared of both hurting and getting hurt by this very special person. Being in love, I felt like I possessed this great power of destruction — but at the same time, I felt extremely fragile. I was trying to decide if I should break it off and not risk getting hurt, or try to go for it and let myself become vulnerable. Turns out I was like porcelain. My heart broke in the end, but I still think that I made the right choice.”
28. Space Buffalo — Jodie Abacus
27. Feel Trip — Rush Davis
Ever hear the start of a song and your immediate reaction was, “Yes” and it only gets better as the song builds? I had that reaction to both of these songs. Jazzy, funky, and different types of soul pass through you. “Space Buffalo” feels like a summer roadtrip. “Feel Trip” tastes like “honey on fries from Popeye’s.” Either way you’ll want to get lost in both.
Group G: What’s One Star to Another
26. Still Here — Drake
The following poem is by Clint Smith from his book of poetry Counting Descent. It’s one of the best things I’ve seen written about Drake.
Ode to the Drizzy Drake Hands
I see how you operate.
Traversing through the air
as if unbounded by space and time.
The rest of us can only hope for
an agency as unapologetic as yours.
You are jazz hands falling into
evolution, cross-continental
symbol of unrestrained ecstasy.
You are our favourite
cultural phenomenon.
Have been turned into puns
that wander the undercurrents
of the Internet. They try to make
you a jester of squandered masculinity,
but you were never here for that.
This was always about the music.
This was always about how you
could turn a house party into a time
capsule. This was always about how
music just ain’t music if it don’t make
your fingers shake a little bit.
This was always about how a group
of people you love all dancing in one
room can make your chest rumble
with something you almost forgot you had.
25. Ordinary Life — The Weeknd
Nobody makes the sound of your life collapsing around you as amazing as The Weeknd. He might be a mega-pop star and have Daft Punk produce Starboy but he’s still living in a House of Balloons.
Group F: Surf
24. Move To Your Beat — Njomza
The bridge that ends the song leaves you wanting more. Njomza serves “Move To Your Beat” as an appetizer to tide her fans over until 2017.
No matter where I go, I feel you all around me
Yeah we’re so physical, sometimes it’s like I can’t breathe
Yeah, I just need to know that I’m not the only one
That this will never end, that there’s so much more to come
23. Good Girl — Dominique
This is how I want my indie-pop to sound like. I want it to peek into their world, to feel like what it was like being in the same room when they wrote the song, and to use music as a way of conversation. Dominique sings and swoons not so you can hear her but because you will listen.
22. Palace — BROCKHAMPTON
This is what I want my self-proclaimed boybands to be like. My favourite track from their debut project All-American Trash. This group is far from garbage.
21. Papercut — Kevin Abstract
Not only is “Papercut” one of the most important songs of 2016, Abstract’s album American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story is one of the most important albums of 2016. The title isn’t misleading but the album is so much more than a love story. The album is Kevin’s medium of choice to explore his sexuality. Through it he raps about love, his external and internal struggles with his sexuality, and the fear and struggles of being a queer person of colour in America.
20. Lucy The Tease — Allan Rayman
When I was making this list, my girlfriend insisted I listen to Allan Rayman. She’s been a fan of his for a couple years now but I had never listened to him until two weeks ago. After hearing the first song I knew one of his songs would make it to the list. “Lucy The Tease” showcases all of his talent and is the perfect introduction to this Vancouver artist.
19. California Heaven Vince Staples Remix — JAHKOY ft. Vince Staples
This Toronto artist is going on tour with Kehlani in 2017. You need to hear his voice once to understand why he’s so high here. It’s the perfect antidote to the cold weather. Play this enough and you’ll trick yourself into feeling a wrapping around you.
18. Hopeless — Khalid
One of my new favourite artists of 2016. A voice like mocha, a high top fade, and a catalog forcing you back for more. What’s not to like? Too bad his first tour isn’t coming through Vancouver.
17. Finish Line — Daye Jack
When people ask me who my top five rappers are my answer is: Kanye, Kendrick, Run The Jewels, Kid Cudi, and Chidlish Gambino. They are known entities that everyone will get. I have another top five but they’re the top five of the underground of who will be next. Daye Jack isn’t number one on that list, he’ll make an appearance later, but Daye might be number two. He is one of the most versatile artists on this list. He showcases his versatility on his newest EP Surf The Web. It’s a story of someone growing up with the internet and how they find clothes to wear from blogs, hit on girls by sliding into their DM’s, and blowing up as an artist after posting songs on Soundcloud.
Group E: Close the Show
16. The Season / Carry Me — Anderson .Paak
Even though I was fortunate enough to see Drake, Kanye, and Chance within a month of each other. The one concert I regret not getting tickets for is Anderson .Paak. One of my friends told me that it was the best concert in Vancouver of the last five years. I didn’t ask him about anything else after that comment. At least we have Malibu to listen to until his next project drops right? I’ll let this song carry me until then.
15. through the late night — Travis Scott ft. Kid Cudi
This was the second song I listened to from Bird In The Trap Sing McKnight. It was the song that prompted me to download the rest of the album. This song is part resurrection and part proving ground. Resurrection for Kid Cudi after Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven. Proving ground for Travis that he isn’t a side act or after thought for G.O.O.D. Music. What better way to validate yourself than with a song with your idol? As Travis explains his relationship with Cudi:
In my whole career, all I wanted was acceptance from Kid Cudi…I don’t care about nothing else! This dude saved my life. He kept me from doing a lot of fucked up shit to myself, kept me on the right path. That’s why I make music, that’s why I go hard for the fans, that’s why I tell security to move out the way — ’cause this dude gave me the passion, the information, the insight on how to grow up and be who you want to be.
I don’t know if he remembers, but the first time I ever met Cudi was the first time I met Kanye. I’ve never told anyone this, but it was the same day. That was the first time I was around G.O.O.D. Music at all. I was sitting like, ‘Man, I’m in the presence of ‘Ye and Cudi. This is the art level where I want to be.’
Group D: King
14. untitled 07 | Levitate — Kendrick Lamar
One of the best songs of the year was a throwaway from one of the best albums of last year. Kendrick stay the king using his leftovers.
Group C: This Shit is for Us
13. twoAM — SZA
The other side to PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “Come and See Me.” She flips the script and tells the story of a 2AM booty call from the woman’s perspective. She wants to leave but she’s too attracted to do so. I have a shirt that says “Don’t Drake and Drive.” After listening to this song it might have to change to, “Don’t SZA and Drive.”
12. F.U.B.U. — Solange ft. BJ The Chicago Kid & The-Dream
Like Master P said, “If you don’t understand my record, you don’t understand me, so this is not for you.” This song and the entirety of Solange’s A Seat at the Table just sit down, shut up, and listen. You will learn their experience. You will feel their anger and frustration. Maybe, just maybe you will understand. Solange is the truth:
Previously, that song was actually called “Be Very Afriad,” and the hook was, “Be very afraid of the color.” I named different incidents where I felt like society acted in fear of Black people and how that automatically escalates into violent, awful experiences along with the demonization of Black men and women. …I remember reflecting on the every day micro-aggresions that we experience on a daily and completely reconstructed the chorus, the track and freestyling that specific song. That song has resonated with so many people that have heard it because it is almost an allowance to just let it out. I named it “F.U.B.U.” because I wanted to empower, and I looked to people who have done that in their own ways. I thought of F.U.B.U. the brand, meaning “For Us By Us”, and what kind of power it had and how normalized it became to wear that kind of symbolism every day. I remember reading stories on the product placement, and seeing LL Cool J wearing a F.U.B.U. hat in a national GAP advertisement. F.U.B.U. exhibited Blackness in any space, on a huge global level, and that is what I wanted to do with the song.
11. Trainwreck — BANKS
BANKS is my favourite female artist. “Trainwreck” is my favourite song off her album The Altar. Listen to the rest of it after listening to this list. You will find she manifests genre from the feelings she wants to convey. She doesn’t fit into a box yet her sound never feels foreign. She is a music chameleon. Everything works. She goes from rap to experimental to melody with no problem. The constant is her voice which is perfect.
Group B: “I recognize no dichotomy between art and protest.” — Ralph Ellison
10. November 9th — Willow Smith
I cried the first time I heard this song. Willow sings a song of hope over a restrained electric guitar. It won’t appear on any Best of 2016 lists and even if it is less than two minutes, it’s one of the most important pieces of art in 2016.
Baby girl, I know you’re tired
Don’t let the world put out your fire
Take my hand and you will see
Sadness and anger aren’t everythingBaby boy don’t lose your sweetness
Don’t think your humanity equals weakness
Take my hand and you shall see
Suppression and pain are not everythingLittle rock up in the sky
Just know we’re sick and asking “Why?”
Little ball falls though the void
It holds us together and endures our choices
9. Blue Lights — Jorja Smith
From Pigeons & Planes: “‘Blue Lights’ is a social commentary. I’m hoping this message will translate to the current generation; but, also resonate with a past generation, like my dad. It’s one of many stories I’ve written, which will hopefully make people think.”
8. 2100 — Run The Jewels ft. BOOTS
Released the day after the American election and their statement with an unplanned release: for our friends. for our family. for everyone who is hurting or scared right now. here is a song we wrote months ago. we werent planning on releasing it yet but… well it feels right, now. it’s about fear and it’s about love and it’s about wanting more for all of us. it’s called “2100”. we hope it finds you well.
7. We The People… — A Tribe Called Quest
The most important song of 2016. Here’s what Q-Tip had to say about it:
We’re just lovely musicians and artists and that’s all we do, is speak and paint pictures and try to speak to a climate but hopefully we will call some sort of uprising internally in that young Jimmy Carter and that young Angela Davis. Hopefully we will, ’cause that’s the type of thing we do. And that’s why ‘We The People’ is more of an encompassing and not just us — it’s all of us as people.
6. Riot — Jon Waltz
That number one on my underground top five? It’s Jon Waltz. He’s honed his sound since his debut track. Riot is Jon Waltz at his smoothest. When the song dropped I listened to it as often as I could conscious of not making it annoying because I never wanted to get sick of it. Jon wrote “Riot” as a song that his younger self needed to hear. “‘Riot’ started as a song about rich kids in Calabasas — affluent minorities conscious about being affluent minorities — and then turned into a song about generational values and internal conflict.”
Group A: Top Five, Top Five, Top Five
5. Blessings (Reprise) — Chance The Rapper ft. Anderson .Paak, BJ The Chicago Kid, Raury & Ty Dolla $ign
If Drake’s concert was a party, Chance’s concert felt like story time with Chance. Instead of putting you sleep he wanted his story to lift you up. I could’ve easily picked “All We Got” or “No Problem” for this spot and I would have if I didn’t see him live. He didn’t close the show with this song but it was the story he was building towards all night. Near the end of the song he preached his mantra:
“Did you know your blessings isn’t
a show,
a song,
isn’t made of flesh,
but it’s coming.
Ain’t on my mixtape
is not of this world
isn’t for sale.
When the prices go up
the blessings goes down.”
He would go on to preach to us and give context to the what a blessing was to him. He told us that sometimes when writing a lyric, to make it catchy it might lose it’s meaning behind it. He told us to talk too long and don’t afraid to talk too long and asked us when was the last time we talked too long. Some people in the crowd were restless and just wanted him to play “Juice” and he didn’t care. He was going to talk too long and I was hanging onto every word.
4. Baptized In Fire — Kid Cudi ft. Travis Scott
In my opinion, Kid Cudi has the best voice in rap. Man on the Moon: The End of Day will always be one of my favourite albums ever. Originally I had “Surfin’” in this spot. However, the more I thought about the narrative of Kid Cudi for 2016. It will always begin with his battle with depression. We can only speculate on what he went through and it’s up to him if he wants to share more. What we do know is that all his singles from his upcoming album Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ have all been different but all good. “Baptized In Fire” ends with Travis reaching out to Cudi imploring him to come home. I hope after surviving the fire Cudi has found himself again.
3. Solo — Frank Ocean
I don’t know what my favourite album from this year is. If I gave you a list it would look like: Blonde, Pablo, The Altar, A Seat at the Table, We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service, The Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight, Surf The Web, Malibu, and Coloring Book in some order. If made me choose one I think I’d need to go with Blonde. I don’t think I listened to an album front to back more than Frank. Was part of this just missing his voice for 4 years? Yes but there isn’t a weak song on the album. He showcases his growth without alienating what people love about him in the first place. And after the drop — poof — he’s gone again. Take your time Frank. Take all the time in the world.
2. Ultralight Beam — Kanye West ft. The-Dream, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & Chance The Rapper
Just because Kanye makes great songs, cool sneakers, and is fashion forward doesn’t mean he is someone who is knowledgeable or competent in other areas of life. We want a peek into the lives of celebrities to reaffirm our assumptions of them. We get mad when they do not. Kanye not only refuses to reaffirm fans he throws a middle finger up to this relationship. It’s why people who love his music can never just talk about his music. Defending him can be exhausting. Re-evaluating my relationship with his art and the things he does I don’t agree with isn’t fun but if I want a deeper interrogation with the art I consume it is necessary. Kanye refers to himself as a genius, a god, and the voice of a generation but he never let’s you forget that he’s human.
1. Redbone — Childish Gambino
Best show on television? Check.
Cast in Star Wars and Spider-Man? Check.
Critic’s Choice Best Comedy Actor? Check.
Throw your own music festival? Check.
Have a baby? Check.
Put an album out that’s a departure from everything else you’ve ever done? Check.
Never apologizing for making art that reflects you? Check.
Forget Kanye 2020.
We need Gambino 2020.
What songs did I miss? Which ones are your favourites? Hope you had fun. Until next year.
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