Without Kanye, Frank Ocean, Drake, James Blake, Chromatics, etc. releasing albums as many thought they would, 2015 was still a massive year for music. Here are the top tracks.
*Note: I did not consider D’Angelo’s Black Messiah to be a 2015 album.
60. “Forever Don’t Last” by Jazmine Sullivan, from Reality Show
Desperation in the sangin, desperation in that guitar. Chilling song.
59. “My Baby Don’t Understand Me” by Natalie Prass, from Natalie Prass
The best song from one of the most underrated albums of the year. A beautifully written track with big time orchestral instrumentation that will make you feel like you’re watching the bittersweet end of an indie rom-kinda-com.
58. “On The Regular” by Shamir, from Ratchet
An electro-pop dance track with hella cowbell. Nobody has ever been remotely similar to Shamir Bailey.
57. “Energy” by Drake, from If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late
6 God goes off on all the leeches, watch out (the video is also amazing).
56. “Trap Queen” by Fetty Wap, from Fetty Wap
No one can make a hook like Fetty Wap, and perhaps that’s exactly why no one else has ever sounded like Fetty Wap.
55. “WTF (Where They From)” by Missy Elliott (feat. Pharrell Williams), single
There aren’t enough fire emojis to adequately describe how hard Missy and P go at each other here. Sickest song of the year.
54. “To Die In L.A.” by Lower Dens, from Escape From Evil
Jana Hunter’s voice bears incredible weight, and this track from another of the year’s most overlooked albums will have you staring out the car window and remembering prom as though it happened in the 80s.
53. “Rough Song” by Beach House, from Count Your Lucky Stars
I have no idea how they did it, but Beach House put out two very complete albums in two months, and this is one of the latter’s highlights.
52. “Sunday Candy” by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, from Surf
So freaking heartwarming that it miraculously sheds any cheese the song should absolutely on paper have.
51. “Constantly Hating” by Young Thug (feat. Birdman), from Barter 6
A subtle, tasteful banger, and excellent example of how effortlessly innovative Thugger is.
50. “How Do You Do It” by Empress Of, from Me
Pitchfork’s review of Me compared Empress Of to “a Björk unleashing her inner Beyoncé.” I can’t quite think of higher possible praise, and I’m down to endorse it.
49. “Silhouettes (I, II, III)” by Floating Points, from Elaenia
An epic, epic 11 minute jazzy composition from a great, mostly electronic album.
48. “Caretaker” by D.R.A.M. (feat. SZA), from Gahdamn!
A sumptuous-as-eff slow jam duet between SZA and D.R.A.M.’s transcendent pipes.
47. “Hello” by Erykah Badu (feat. Andre 3000), from But You Cain’t Use My Phone
Erykah and Andre remain very close friends even years after having a child together and splitting up, and during one of their hangouts they whipped up this fresh update of the Isley Brothers’ (evidently the most coverable group of all time) “Hello It’s Me,” a testament to how adaptive the now 40+ year old legends are to the ever-evolving nature of modern music.
46. “The Way” by Kehlani (feat. Chance the Rapper), from You Should Be Here
I still remember watching Kehlani on America’s Got Talent, as the lead singer of the plucky young rock band, Poplyfe, but now she and Chance are singing dirty, dirty things to each other while I sit here feeling left out.
45. “coffee” by Miguel, from Wildheart
With Frank Ocean remaining silent, Miguel is the de facto king of modern R&B, and, man, does the king love sex.
44. “No Sleep” by Janet Jackson, from Unbreakable
The lead single off of Janet’s long awaited return album, it’s an earworm of a late night track that kills any of that “it’s way too late I should sleep” guilt.
43. “Angels” by Chance the Rapper (feat. Saba), single
Even the most cynical curmudgeon can’t listen to Chance without cracking some sort of smile. Chance is so good conveying something meaningful while maintaining a degree of nostalgia, and Saba’s hook makes being from Chicago the only way to be on par with the cool kids.
42. “Girl” by The Internet, from Ego Death
The Internet is one of many remaining pieces of what once was Odd Future, and they’ve finally established themselves as a soulful group to mess with. The track is heavily marked by Kaytranada’s sound.
41. “Party Favors” by Tinashe (feat. Young Thug), single
Tinashe is perfectly on track to resume her R&B takeover. She worked with a massive production team (Boi-1-Da, Illangelo, Allen Ritter) to write her most innovative track ever, a party anthem featuring Mr. Innovation himself, Young Thug.
40. “waves” by Miguel, from Wildheart
The most instantly gratifying track from Miguel’s stellar third album.
39. “Norf Norf” by Vince Staples, from Summertime ’06
An honest portrait of Vince’s hometown Long Beach, told over a frightening Clams instrumental (it’s also got a great video).
38. “King Kunta” by Kendrick Lamar, from To Pimp a Butterfly
I remember I couldn’t quite take it all in when I first heard the leak, which is especially astounding because there are no unfamiliar elements at play here. It’s such a wide-ranging and perfectly executed amalgamation of different flavors, and makes for a sonic caricature that builds with incredible dynamism.
37. “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)” by Father John Misty, from I Love You Honeybear
If you don’t pay attention to the lyrics, you’d probably go through the album thinking Father John Misty is just a great songwriter and instrumentalist, making music in the same vein as his former band, the Fleet Foxes. If you do pay attention to the lyrics, you realize that there’s a significant degree of additional intrigue to the man.
36. “Annie” by Neon Indian, from Vega Intl. Night School
Decadent, dreamy, synthy track. Listen to the rest of the album, there’s plenty more where that came from.
35. “Oui” by Jeremih, from Late Nights
Jeremih’s got some Young Thug about him. Not only does he render silly play on words (“There’s no oui (we) without u (you) and i (I)”) incredibly fire, but he’s got a vast repertoire of melodic flows to ride the beat with. Expect to feel his presence more and more in 2016.
34. “Ammi Ammi” by Archy Marshall (feat. Jamie Isaac), from A New Place 2 Drown
King Krule gave us a great album in 2013, a teasing taste of what he’s capable of, and disappeared until dropping what he calls a soundtrack (accompanied by a book of poetry and visual art, as well as a short film) under his real name, Archy Marshall. This track gives us a good idea of his evolution as a lyricist and producer, as well as his rendition of the increasingly prevalent rap-sing delivery.
33. “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” by Run The Jewels, from RTJ2
Killer Mike and El-P obliterate their way through an instrumental they created by abusing a couple of innocent little samples. You’re always gonna have the 2010 Odd Future-type fans raging their f*ckboy faces off to the sheer hardness of the songs, but don’t let that turn you away from how talented the two ancient MCs are.
32. “Stonemilker” by Björk, from Vulnicura
This song is so beautiful. An uplifting opener to a haunting emotionally bare piece of art.
31. “What Do You Mean?” by Justin Bieber, from Purpose
Yep.
30. “Boy Problems” by Carly Rae Jepsen, from Emotion
Yes, fricken Carly Rae Jepsen. “But she made ‘Call Me Maybe’ she is bad!!1” Shut up, listen to her album first, and then we’ll talk. It’s the best pop of the year by far.
29. “Hotline Bling” by Drake, single
Drake owned 2015 without releasing an actual album, and he did so with legendary effortlessness. I’ll be damned if this ends up on Views, and I’ll be damned if he spent more than a few hours on the track, but it was still the biggest hit of the year.
28. “Animals” by Oneohtrix Point Never, from Garden of Delete
I have no idea what the hell that thing is that’s talking, or singing, or whatever, but it’s so poignant without conveying an actual word. You’ll get that “the-world-has-wronged-me-and-it-shouldn’t-have” feeling (know what I mean?).
27. “Chorus” by Holly Herndon, from Platforms
Holly Herndon is one of the best producers in the world, and she is also a Stanford grad student. “Chorus” is a straight banger, beautifully layered and constantly changing, with Holly demonstrating incredible control over each of the infinite elements that constitute the song.
26. “A Message” by Kelala, from Hallucinogen EP
Kelala injects a little bit of that classic late 90s early 2000s Destiny’s Child R&B with her delivery, but manages to body the Arca extraterrestrial instrumental as though it’s your everyday beat.
25. “Sparks” by Beach House, from Depression Cherry
To hype up Depression Cherry, Beach House emphasized that the album would “fully [ignore] the commercial context in which [we] exist,” and with all due respect to one of my favorite groups, I disagree that it does so any more than their previous work. “Sparks,” however, does mark a slight departure from their usual sound, in favor of more grassroots shoegazy vibe that they were unfortunately unable to sustain for the length of the LP (it’s still a great album).
24. “Inhale Exhale” by Nao, from February 15
You’d tell Nao’s voice apart from anyone’s (except for maybe the girl from AlunaGeorge). We don’t quite know who’s producing for her, but signs point towards the frustratingly elusive Jai Paul. The track climaxes at that little ad-lib of a hook.
23. “True Love” by Tobias Jesso Jr., single
A warm, wistful ballad that put Jesso on the map (now he’s got a writing credit on Adele’s colossal 25), but didn’t make his debut album. It remains his best song.
22. “Jump Off The Roof” by Vince Staples (feat. Snoh Aalegra), from Summertime ’06
Filthy beat, razor-sharp rhyme. Really makes you hope that Vince’s lying when he says he’s planning for a short career.
21. “Gosh” by Jamie xx, from In Colour
A ballsy album opener, easily the least accessible on In Colour. But with hard work comes greater reward, and once you get into this track it’ll be one of your favorites.
20. “Flesh Without Blood” by Grimes, from Art Angels
With her latest album, Grimes has perfected her own spin on pop music without compromising any of what makes her great, a massive accomplishment she’s been hard at work to achieve for years. The album’s lead single is emphatic, but maintains that Grimes poignancy. “I don’t see the light I saw in you before,” she sings.
19. “…goingtohell” by Miguel, from Wildheart
This track best encapsulates the step forward Miguel made with his sound on Wildheart that allowed him to adopt but also go so far beyond the rockstar persona.
18. “Señorita” by Vince Staples, from Summertime ’06
Vince, through his twitter, is sure to document his infatuation with Future. He samples a maximally snappy hook from Dr. Nayvadius and the track absolutely bangs.
17. “Loud Places” by Jamie xx (feat. Romy), from In Colour
Jamie is the best sampler in the world, and this is exhibit A. He interpolates the Idris Muhammad hook masterfully, as though it truly is his own work. This song is summer in slow-motion, a real life Coca-Cola ad.
16. “Them Changes” by Thundercat (feat. Flying Lotus & Kamasi Washington), from The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam
Thundercat is a weapon, and until everybody realizes that, Kendrick’s about to continue to crank out albums of the year because of him. This track is heartbreaking, but don’t feel bad if you bob your head to Thundy’s despair, because a bass virtuoso’s grooves are mighty funky.
15. “Faucet” by Earl Sweatshirt, from I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside
Earl Sweatshirt deserves to be respected as a great writer, but it’s not easy for a rapper to escape that hip-hop money-booty-drug-chaser stigma that confines one’s cultural relevance to being a famous hedonist who not only enjoys the horrors he partakes in, but damages others by encouraging them to join in. But all you have to do is listen to what he’s saying here (or read it), to notice that he’s pinned down the most poignant, subtle aspects of his depression, and expresses them as what is no less than a beautiful poem.
14. “u” by Kendrick Lamar, from To Pimp a Butterfly
Beyond the meticulousness in production, Kendrick’s unrivaled technical soundness, and the impact this album has had on people around the country, To Pimp a Butterfly is crazy theatrical. This song is a vivid expression of guilt, of self-hatred, with Kendrick playing a hypothetical rock-bottom stupid-drunk friend who rips into the rapper for leaving everybody behind to rot in his hometown Compton.
13. “Institutionalized” by Kendrick Lamar (feat. Snoop Dogg, Bilal, & Anna Wise) from To Pimp a Butterfly
Obviously, Kendrick’s rapping is on point, but those dueling grandma Bilal vs. omniscient narrator Snoop hooks are where the track especially stands out.
14. “F*ck Up Some Commas” by Future, from Dirty Sprite 2
I don’t even know what this song means. But then again no one knows what it means, and it sure is provocative enough to get the people going. Like Young Thug, Future is by nature exciting, and luckily for us, he’s prolific as hell. Not only is he a rapper, but he’s a banger factory, so the stigma is especially difficult for him to overcome, but he doesn’t care, and nor do I.
11. “The Blacker the Berry” by Kendrick Lamar, from To Pimp a Butterfly
No one is better suited to compliment Kendrick’s wrath and create a nasty 1-2 punch than the blessed-with-a-voice Jamaican madman Assassin (from Kanye’s 2013 track, “I’m In It”), and the song closes with a gorgeous jazz composition by Terrace Martin.
10. “Black Lake” by Björk, from Vulnicura
Much respect to 50 year-old Björk for seeking out a young, freaky-deaky producer like Arca to lay out the instrumentals for her career’s most personal and revelatory work. His signature drums are there, but a massive group of strings brings home the heart of the emotion.
9. “Eventually” by Tame Impala, from Currents
I wouldn’t quite call Currents a departure from Kevin Parker’s previous work; I think it’s more of a directed polishing towards more ear-friendly and crunchy instrumentation, over Lonerism’s filtered jukebox muffle that wouldn’t work as well with this album’s wistful, “sad things have happened to me, but I’m moving on” tone.
8. “Realiti” by Grimes, from Art Angels
Grimes released “Realiti” as a throwaway single a couple of months ago, but — I assume because it was so well received — the track made it onto Art Angels, with definite improvements throughout to make sure it fits in with the pop vibe she’s perfected.
7. “In Time” by FKA Twigs, from M3LL155X
This is monster music. The production is perfect for Twigs’ rage against her man, who’s got a “Goddamn nerve” and Good Lord, should he be scared. (The EP title, I believe, is pronounced “Melissa”.)
6. “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd, from Beauty Behind the Madness
There are those who exclusively listen to the top 40, and then we have those who will at all costs reject what sounds “too mainstream.” I think the reality is that a lot of top 40 music is mediocre, and not because it’s “too poppy,” or “too Justin Bieber,” but because it prioritizes being well-received by it’s audience far more than making something of quality. But there also are great popular tracks, and “Can’t Feel My Face” is a perfect pop song. Michael Tedder, over at Pitchfork, writes, “pop music is supposed to reroute your brain and make you like it even when you don’t want to like it,” and The Weeknd got around that innate critical eye many of us have when it comes to pop music and forced us to have a great time.
5. “Should Have Known Better” by Sufjan Stevens, from Carrie and Lowell
Sufjan is perfect. I don’t think he’s capable of crafting a meaningless song, and Carrie and Lowell is a collection of devastating, stripped-down pieces he must have tortured himself to churn out. This is the lead single, where he looks back regretfully at his mother’s death, about how she failed as a mother, and how he failed as a son.
4. “These Walls” by Kendrick Lamar (feat. Bilal, Anna Wise, & Thundercat), from To Pimp a Butterfly
It feels futile at this point to pile on the praise for Kendrick and give you description of what the song sounds like and what it’s about (but in case you’re wondering, it’s funky and very neo-soul, it’s kind of about sex). I hope the high ranking compels you to listen if you haven’t already, because frankly I got nothing that meaningful to say other than I love this so much.
3. “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” by Jamie xx (feat. Young Thug & Popcaan), from In Colour
Young Thug will always be dismissed by the uninterested majority as just another one of those guys who makes disgusting bangers, whose artistic worth is limited to the nonsensical and misogynistic lyrics he shouts, but he’s so naturally off-kilter that everything he so prolifically creates is fresh. This is another example of how amazing Jamie’s sampling skills have become, and my heart warms when I think of him shyly interacting with Young Thug, who evidently just showed up, spit his fire, and forgot all about it.
2. “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar, from To Pimp a Butterfly
When a song is so directly impactful to such a large group of people, it has to be considered one of the best of the year. “Alright” has become a protester’s optimistic anthem, and whether or not you agree with them, people taking it to the streets and collectively singing Kendrick and Pharrell’s hook is incredible to watch (the music video is the year’s best).
1. “The Less I Know The Better” by Tame Impala, from Currents
The premise is simple: Kevin Parker sings about unrequited love in a tone both petty like a high school crush, and powerful enough to feel universal and profound. This is the best example of Parker’s obsessive perfectionism; every new sound introduced comes in at just the right time. There is a recurring guitar riff that makes more and more sense as the other instruments pile on, and the bass grooves and drums make the song such a complete final product, and it’s my favorite track of the year.
Title image from here.
('17, Human Biology/Creative Writing) is from Palo Alto and listens to a lot of Kanye.