“Sorry,” Beyoncé
This song served as the biggest “f— you” to anyone who ever did you wrong in life.
“Pillowtalk,” Zayn Malik
Yaaaasssss Zayn!!! “Pillowtalk” showed us that Zayn is all grown and sexy now and not teeny bopper boy band “One Direction”-esque
“Starboy,” The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk
The Weeknd had us all a little worried when he diverted from his unique sound and recorded a radio hit, “I Can’t Feel My Face.” Not that it was particularly bad, it just wasn’t good enough for The Weeknd–he’s better than that. “Starboy” proves that.
“24k Magic,” Bruno Mars
We can all agree that 2016 was a rough year for one reason or another. Well, Bruno Mars came in the nick of time to save us all with “24k Magic”–probably everyone’s happy song right now.
“Father Stretch My Hands Pt.1,” Kanye West
Let’s get real for a second, “Life of Pablo” was not one of Kanye West’s best albums, but “Father Stretch My Hands Pt.1” is easily the best track off that album. That’s the Kanye we know (and love?).
“Needed Me,” Rihanna
The entire “Anti” album is gold, but “Needed Me” is one track that fully embodies Rihanna’s feminist no f—- given attitude.
Just listen to the song:
“But baby don’t get it twisted, you was just another n—- on the hit list,” yaaaaassss boo!
“Setting the World on Fire,” Kenny Chesney
It’s a country song that talks about love and being drunk on La Cienega Boulevard, need we say more? Also, Pink is featured on a version of this song.
“Cranes in the Sky,” Solange
Solange blessed us all when she dropped “A Seat at the Table,” and while her entire album gave us life, “Cranes in the Sky” was just on an entirely other level.
“Gettin’ Old,” 6lack
Probably very few people have heard of 6lack let alone “Gettin’ Old,” and that’s a shame because he’s an amazing artist.
“Dangerous Woman” Ariana Grande
Ariana has always had a powerful voice, but most of the time it was disguised with songs unbefitting for her. “Dangerous Woman” also demonstrates Grande’s growth musically… I mean has anyone even watched the music video? Wow.
“Sorceress” Opeth
Hypnotic guitar riffs mark the next phase in Opeth’s journey into progressive metal. While it will divide those who enjoyed the band’s darker earlier work, it should intrigue everyone else.
“Chief Don’t Run,” Jidenna
Jidenna has always embraced his unique style and “Chief Don’t Run” is no different. He even channels his Nigerian heritage in this song.
“Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” Adele
It’s hard to pick a “best” of Adele, because let’s be honest everything of hers is amazing. This song, however, stands out above the rest off her “25” album. Take a listen and you’ll see why.
“Pass Dat,” Jeremih
Jeremih is probably the most underrated artist of all time. Despite having issues with his most recent tour, the artist has some serious talent that we all need to finally acknowledge.
“Come Down,” Anderson .Paak
Anderson .Paak surprised a lot of people when he was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist, but this song proves why that was. His sound combines hip hop and funk which turns out into an interestingly nice mix.
“For Free,” DJ Khaled ft. Drake
“Stomach on flat flat, a– on what’s that” was the only thing anyone was singing — or captioning their Instagram photos — for quite some time.
“Gwan Big Up Yourself,” Roy Woods
Roy Woods is probably better known for his song “Drama” which featured Drake, but “Gwan Big Up Yourself” is an even better song. He’s also signed to OVO, Drake’s label and we know our favorite Canadian never steers us wrong.
“Burn The Witch” Radiohead
Thom Yorke’s latest single does a perfect job illustrating the fear and paranoia that has come to define 2016. Bonus points for its music video, which is a stop-motion homage to the classic British film, “The Wicker Man.”
“Closer,” Chainsmokers
OK, so you either hate this song or love it, but there’s no denying that we have ALL at least hummed along to it–whether it was willingly or not.
“My Way,” Calvin Harris
Maybe that breakup with Taylor Swift was a good thing because then we got “My Way.”
“You were the one thing in my way,” can’t help but feel like this is about T-Swift.
“The Greatest,” Sia
Sia is a very talented artist–remember Chandelier? “The Greatest” just served as an extra reminder in case we forgot.
“One Dance,” Drake
Can we all agree that “One Dance” was the Summer anthem of 2016? We all banged this in our car, at the club, at the gym, etc.
