Music Year End Review II: My Favorite Albums of 2016

So 2016 was a terrible year for the pop music charts (in my opinion at least). I was gonna make a list of my favorite pop songs, but honestly there weren't really enough to list from the Hot 100 Year End list. A lot of the pop songs I liked didn't make it to that list. So in short my favorite pop songs this year were probably "Hymn For The Weekend", "24K Magic", "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" and "Water Under the Bridge". Instead of focusing on the pop charts, I decided to just name albums that I really enjoyed throughout the year. Outside of the Pop Charts 2016 was a really great year for music (especially Rock) with many many many good albums and even lots of great ones. There's a lot that I missed and will eventually go back to, but here are some that really stuck with me all the way through the year.

Honorable Mentions:

BABYMETAL - Metal Resistance

This album really came of nowhere for me earlier this year. I've heard of this band a lot, but I never took them seriously enough to listen to them. I gave this new album a chance since I really enjoyed the first single "Karate". To my surprise I ended up really liking the album as a whole. The lead vocals by Suzuka Nakamoto are great, and the other cute vocals didn't ever really get annoying as I feared they would. The music is also good, with every song covering a different style of the metal genre. None of it is groundbreaking, but it plays as a good homage to the genre. It's not an album I can listen to easily, since the vocals are in Japanese and the music isn't something I really crave to hear all the time. Still it was a good surprise and worth a listen if you like metal or Japanese pop or rock or just want something really fun.

Sing Street Soundtrack

I loved this movie and the soundtrack was just as good. A perfect tribute to some of the most memorable New Wave bands of the 80's. The songs written for the film are so catchy and they really do feel like they came straight out of that crazy unique 80's time period of music. It's worth a listen... unless the 80's aren't your thing. But....no... everyone loves the 80's....right?

Weezer - White Album

 One of the best Weezer albums I've heard in a very long time. Sadly I haven't played it much in the last few months, not because it's bad BUT because there is so much music coming out and sadly, a lot of it is better than this album. Still that's not to take away from how much fun this album is, it's a really good summer time album with the Beach Boy vibes and great listening for those hot summer days. I'll definitely be putting this in my car next year for those hot sunny day drives.

Descendents - Hyppercaffium Spazzinate

The first full length released by these guys in over a decade, and they haven't lost anything. Still the same great punk sounds from these veterans in the genre. Great energy, fun music, some of the best punk songs you can find in 2016. It's amazing when a band that's been around for this long can still release an album this solid, it seems age hasn't affected the energy of this band at all, and that's just amazing. Just like that old school punk, no song overstays it's welcome and are nice and short. For the amount of songs there are (21 tracks), all of them feel like they belong here.

                                                    Blink 182 - California

Who knew the best thing Blink-182 could do was to get rid of Tom? Blink-182 returned to their old ways with more fun, energetic and catchy songs. With the addition of Matt Skiba (of Alkaline Trio), they were able to deliver the Blink-182 album I've been waiting years for. The only thing about the album that felt weak was the overused "ooohs" and "nanana's" which felt kinda lazy at times. BUT it's not enough to keep this from being a really fun and great listen. It's a great comeback in a year of great comebacks, and amazingly this one wasn't the best of those comebacks (but another three piece band maybe?).

Bastille - Wild World

I was very excited to hear more from Bastille after the great debut album they released in "Bad Blood".  This was another great album, although maybe a bit too long, but most of the songs are at least good and even some great ones. "Good Grief" was a tough one to get out of my head, but it wasn't a bad thing since it's a really great catchy song. It was sad to see this album didn't get much love on the pop charts like the last one they released. None of the songs even made the hot 100 this year, which is pretty sad considering how much better than most pop music the singles they released from this album were. Still that's the world we live in I suppose... One might say it's a wild world. Sorry.

Panic! at the Disco - Death of a Bachelor

 I've never been a huge fan of this band, but there have great songs in their past albums that I still listen to now and again. I wasn't expecting much from this album, but it really took me by surprise. This album was exactly what the pop charts needed this year, but still somehow ignored. Lots of great energy and a different sound than any other mainstream hit on the charts this year. Still, even with it's huge success, this album still got overshadowed by all the other predictable bored music this year had to offer. When the music industry finally offers something interesting, the world still picks the obvious choices and ignores the good stuff. Maybe i'm just being too negative, but maybe I just like being negative.

THE TOP 10

This list will probably change over time, as I listen to all the albums I missed this year. There's always great albums out there that I miss and I hope to get to them soon.

10. Ladyhawke - Wild Things

Favorite Track: Wild Things

This album is so much fun and also relaxing to listen to, every single song on the album is great. Lots of great use of electronic sounds, unlike a lot of pop music, everything actually works well together musically to make a complete sound. Admittedly some of the albums on the honorable mentions might be better than this album, but this album is so easy to listen to and I find myself coming back to it a lot. The song "Wild Things" is one of my favorite songs of the year, it's a very relaxing and inspiring song with great atmosphere. That's what this album brings... great atmosphere.

9. Lumineers - Cleopatra

Favorite Track: Gun Song

 Lumineer's last album was a fine folk-rock album with some memorable songs. It put them on the map for sure, and I was excited to see where they would go with this new album. Glad to say it was an improvement from their last album, as it was an overall great album where every song is at the very least good. Much like the last album on the list, this one is a very easy listen and also very relaxing to me. Folk isn't really something I listen to very often, so the fact that this album was one of the ones I found myself listening to more than most other albums is pretty telling.

8. HalfNoise - Sudden Feeling 

Favorite Track: Leaving

This album really came out of nowhere this year. I found out about these guys when they opened for a band I was seeing a few months back, and I haven't stopped listening to this album ever since. I found it very similar to Ladyhawke's album, as it has all the great atmosphere and it's relaxing and easy to listen to. What makes this better is how simple, yet full the music is. I love the sounds they use and I love how all the instruments come together to make really great music. The vocals are simple, as are the lyrics, but that's not a complaint in this case. The simplicity of the vocals match with the tone and atmosphere of the music, so it works very well in this case. I always feel this album ends too early, it's so good that it just flies by. I can't wait to get more music from these guys.

7. Anchor & Braille - Songs for the Late Night Drive Home

Favorite Track: Detroit Stab

Continuing with the theme of relaxing songs with great use of music is this album. Last year my favorite band Anberlin broke up, and it was a sad moment because they always made amazing music and I am going to miss them a lot. Early this year the lead singer of Anberlin released this album from his side project Anchor & Braille, and it ended up being one of my favorites. It's great to know i'll still be getting great music from them in one way or another, it might not be Anberlin, but this is really great in a really different way. Everything from the vocals to the music all work really well, and it creates a great album to... drive home at night to. Lots of beautiful melodies and lots of little details in the music make this album so great. Stephen Christian's vocals are always amazing, I'm glad to hear more from him and I hope to hear more music from this side project of his.

6. Green Day - Revolution Radio

Favorite Track: Forever Now

 Much like Blink-182, Green Day is a band that I've been waiting for a good release from for years. Green Day has a special place in my life, as American Idiot was pretty much the first album that really got me into music. The last decade has been hard, since Green Day has only released three albums that were all pretty disappointing. Then comes 2016 and the release of Revolution Radio, one of my most anticipated albums of the year. This was the Green Day album I've been waiting for, and it cured my itch for more great Green Day music. Every song on the album is great, and the lyrics are actually really great as well. Lots of the songs feel very personal to Billie Joe Armstrong's life and even current events and how the current state of the United States. With lots of great energetic songs, but also some great slower songs with very meaningful lyrics. I loved this album a lot and i'm glad to see Green Day making great music again.

5. Young the Giant - Home of the Strange 

Favorite Track: Art Exhibit

So I was actually pretty disappointed by this album. The reason being that the first two albums by Young the Giant were my favorites for the years that they were released (2011 and 2014 were the two years they released their first two albums). Now in 2016, the third full length by Young the Giant was released. At first I really loved this album and I could really see it being my favorite of the year. Over time though, I lost a lot of that love I originally had for this album. Even though I love most of the songs, there are some here that I lost some love for over time. Songs like "Amerika", "Titus Was Born" and "Mr. Know-It-All" were ones that I lost love for over time. I still like every song from this album and I do think it's great album, but it still feels like a step down from previous albums. Maybe with time I'll grow to love those songs again, but I know that this album won't be my favorite of the year. There were a few more memorable albums that I listened to way more than this one. Young the Giant is still one of my favorite bands, and their music is still really great including this album. I still am excited to hear more from this band in the future. Also, best album artwork of the year goes to this one.

4. Relient K - Air For Free

Favorite Track: Runnin'

Another band this year to make a great comeback was Relient K. Relient K is one of those bands, like Green Day, that really helped grow my love for music and I've always been a huge fan of. I was really disappointed by the last album they released back in 2013, as it was really the first album they released that I didn't love. Looks like it was just a small hiccup for them though, since the new album "Air For Free" is yet another amazing album by Relient K. This album is a very beautiful album with very uplifting lyrics and reflective songs that can be very relate-able in many different points of ones life. There's still some really good fun songs here though like "Bummin", "Cat" and "Elephant Parade". It's a slower Relient K album, but I found no problem with that. The only song that kept this from being a perfect album was "Empty House", which I think would have been a great song, but sadly ruined by auto-tune vocals that feel out of place on the album.

3. Bad Suns - Disappear Here:

Favorite Track: Even In My Dream I Can't Win

 Bad Suns was one of the best surprises of 2014, when they released their debut album and I fell in love with it instantly. With this new album they managed to make an even better album than the last one, and once again surprised me with one of the best albums of the year. From the great music with lots of great guitar, drum,synth, and bass work and the unique vocals, everything in this album just worked really well together.  Every song is a joy to listen to, and I found myself listening to this album over and over again without ever getting tired of a single song. After this album I can easily say that Bad Suns is one of my favorite bands out there. I need more from this band. RIGHT. NOW.

2. Thrice - To Be Everywhere is to Be Nowhere:

Favorite Track: Hurricane

 Comeback of the year. After going into a hiatus around 2012, Thrice came out of nowhere and announced their return in 2016 with a new album. I never thought the album was gonna be as good as it was. In my opinion this is the best album they have released to this day. It's a near perfect album in almost every sense, from the very topical lyrics about the United States and all the problems we face with violence and government to the fantastic music that's always on point. Dustin's vocals have improved so much since the last time they released an album, he has such a great gritty sound to his voice and he hits every note beautifully. With all that it accomplishes, this really should have been my favorite album of the year. This is rock music at it's best.

1. Paper Route - Real Emotion

Favorite Track: Chariots

I almost feel like I can't explain why this album is my favorite of the year. It's only been out for a few months, but it already feels like a big part of my life. I can't think of an album that impacted me so much in so little time as much as this one did. I love every single song on this album, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since it came out. There are songs here that feel really emotionally (no pun intended?) impact-full, like "Untitled", "Balconies" and "Real Emotion". Musically, there's a lot of beautiful moments in this album, and it feels very personal. The band get every moment right here, from the slower more vulnerable moments, to the faster paced songs like "Writing on the Wall" and "Laugh About It". While musically and vocally, Thrice's album was probably better, this album just won me over with it's.... Emotion (Sorry). It's a perfectly named album, that I know I'll keep coming back to for years.

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Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed

Video game movies have gotten a bad rep in the film world over the last few decades. There really still hasn't been a great video game movie to this day, not to say some aren't enjoyable. Movies like Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Warcraft are all enjoyable in their own right, but still fall short of being really good. Usually a lot of problems lie in the story itself, as it's hard to translate a story that a player experiences through their own actions as they control a character and make choices in some cases. The games chosen to make movies out of usually already have an established fan base, which is good and bad when making a movie. On one hand you have an audience that's already going to see the movie, but on the other hand the fan base will also be harder to please because they already know so much about the game and have experienced hours of it. Nowadays games themselves are incredibly cinematic and story driven, with memorable characters and voice actors. 

Assassin's Creed is another game franchise with a massive fan base that's been growing for over 6 games. Players have spent (possibly) hundreds of hours playing through them all, and are very connected to the story (which can be pretty complicated after the first few games to follow). This movie already had a lot to live up to using the Assassin's Creed name. But many were hopeful when the cast was announced with veterans like; Michael Fassbender, Jeremy Irons and Marion Cottilard. So did Assassin's Creed live up to the name? Is it the first really great video game based movie?

The answer is...no? Assassin's Creed is by no means a great movie, but it was one of the more enjoyable video game movies I've seen in a long time. I think the movie did a  pretty good job at introducing the world and the concepts of the game. There was a lot of good moments, but every good moment had a bad moment to go along with it, cancelling out the good. 

The Good: The action scenes are fun to watch, even though they aren't ground breaking or unique, they are still entertaining enough. The movie also does a good job at putting little details from the game into the movie, that I think fans of the games will pick up on and enjoy. The movie also does a good job at introducing the world without just copy and pasting the games moments. Instead of being lazy and just using all the moments from the video games, it creates it's own without going too far away from the game. It's also cool that the movie goes to a new location in 15th century Spain, and I also like the fact that all the scenes in Spain are spoken in the Spanish language, complete with the original accents. 

The Bad: The acting is nothing special in this movie, even from veteran actors who are known for great films. A lot of the acting is very emotionless, with just a few scenes from Fassbender being somewhat emotional. The movie can also be pretty boring at times, with lots of conversations that kinda feel pointless or confusing, and again not much emotion put into it. The movie doesn't spend a lot of time in old Spain, which is bad since those are the best parts of the movie. Most of the characters aren't really fleshed out, the worst one being Aguilar (Fassbender's Spanish ancestor), who doesn't really seem to have much of a character except the fact he's an assassin. The villain's motivations don't really make much sense either since they aren't explained in enough detail to understand how it all works. There's a lot of things introduced that seem to go nowhere, as i'm assuming there are more movies planned, though they may never come if this movie fails financially.

In the end, Assassin's Creed is a below average movie, but an above average video game movie. There's enough good and interesting moments to keep you watching, but there really aren't any great memorable moments. Too many boring and pointless scenes keep this from being a good movie and it also doesn't help that there really aren't any characters to connect to. There's still enough here to make it watchable, especially if you're a fan of the game series. BUT I would say wait for it to come out on DVD or a streaming service and give a rent.

Grade: C-

If you're looking for good video game movie though...

Just watch Wreck-It Ralph. Doesn't seem any good movies based on real video games are gonna exist anytime soon.

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The Lobster

There were lots of films released this year that you might have missed, I know I have a lot that I still want to watch. I though it would be cool to take a look back at some lesser known films that fell below the radar, and see whether they are worth a watch or just better left missed out on. Starting out with an indie film that came out earlier this year: The Lobster

The Lobster is a film about a man living in world where every person who is single is taken to a hotel and forced to pair off with a mate in 45 days or he will be transformed into an animal. There also exists a society outside of the hotel where all the people who have escaped banded together to form a group of rebels, who forbid any form of romance or flirting in order to be a member. It's a dark comedy, and admittedly it's not the kind of movie you can recommend to just anyone.

The best thing about the film though is just how absurd it all is, but how dry and almost emotionless the characters all play it off. A world where people are forced to pair off is one that leads to much deceit and games, and it's just so funny and strangely charming how dry and almost robotic everyone's personality seems. It feels like something that shouldn't work, but it does very well and it's entertaining to watch all the ridiculous situations that play out with this kind of acting to go along with it.

The idea of this world that forces people to pair off or transform into an animal is a great and funny one. Taking a poke of fun at a conventional aspect of our real lives, the idea that we as people are pressured to find love and get married in our lives. We live in a society where romance and having a relationship is pushed as an essential part of life and it almost seems frowned upon at times to not want to pursue that aspect of life because people view it as an essential part of living. So it's great to see a movie that can create this crazy world where it's actually necessary in order to keep your humanity to find another person to spend your life with. Also poking fun at the other side of things by making rebels who punish you for any attempts at romance you might have.

As I stated before, this movie is not for everyone. While the setup to this world is very interesting and unique, the tone of the movie is very dark and it's just one of those films that's incredibly odd. You might find that oddness charming like I did, with the way the actors play the absurd situations to in a super serious, and dry way. The weird quirky characters aren't charming in the average sense, it's really all about the context of the film that it all works so well. It's also a film that requires attention throughout in order to get the full experience. It's also a great looking film, with great music to go along with the absurdity of the story. It all works well, even though it probably shouldn't. As interesting as the movie was though, I don't think it's the kind of movie I'll be re-watching anytime soon, the story and dark humor isn't something I really want to return to anytime soon. It's a good one time watch, I feel like I got all that I needed out of it.

If any of that sounds interesting, I suggest giving it a shot. It's a very different kind of movie that you don't see being made too often. All the crazyness and oddities come together to make a really unique and pretty fun movie to watch. If you enjoy dark humor, absurd but compelling stories, or just want to see a strange indie film that's not quiet like anything else out there give it a shot. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then I say pass on this one. It's currently out on DVD and you can rent or stream it.

Overall Grade: C+

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La La Land

La La Land

"Here's to the fools that dream, as crazy as they may seem."

La La Land is the latest film Damien Chazelle (Whiplash), starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. The film is a musical that follows both Gosling and Stone as Sebastian and Mia, who are trying to make it big in modern LA, like many people who move out to the city. It's a story that's been told many times in many ways, so how does La La Land take on the LA story hold up?

La La Land is one of the most refreshing and enjoyable movies I've seen all year (even more impressive since it's the end of the year now). It's late in the year now, and a lot of the time that's when these kind of movies get released (the more original films or serious films that are trying to win awards like Golden Globes and Oscars). I'm always happy to see an original idea come to the big screen, with all the sequels, remakes, and universe movies now-a-days, it's good to step away from all that and just enjoy a stand alone story. 

So one of the most important parts of a musical... is the music itself. La La Land has a big focus on Jazz throughout the entire film, as Ryan Goslings character is an aspiring Jazz musician who's trying to start his own jazz club. The movie really gets into many different types of jazz from classic style jazz, modern jazz, and more mainstream sounding jazz, like Amy Winehouse. I really enjoyed all the music in this film, from the more catchy sing-along style songs you'd expect from a musical to the more classy jazz songs without vocals or more subtle vocals. The movie really shows respect and love to the genre, and it's hard not to share in that same passion, because it really soaks through the screen. Music is used in this film to help elevate emotions and helps strengthen the relationship between the two main characters and their dreams.

While Ryan Goslings character inspires the music in the film, Emma Stone's inspires the cinematography and all the effects the films uses. Emma plays Mia who is trying to become a big actress in Hollywood, going to many auditions and working a dead-end job to pay her bills. Her character is inspired by cinema, and there's a huge emphasis on classic cinema in her story. While Sebastian (Gosling) is connected to the music in the film, Mia (Stone) is connected to the cinematography of the film. The film uses a lot of themes (like font, colors, shots, settings, clothing and lighting) from classic Hollywood cinema. It really elevates the movie and it makes it feel even more special when you feel the characters are connected to all the pieces that are happening on the screen. 

The performances by Gosling and Stone are really great, they have great chemistry in this film. You really feel the love they have for what the dreams they are fighting through their acting. They also do a great job with all the choreography for all the dance numbers (some more simple than others) and musical set pieces. Also I love the fact that Ryan Gosling actually learned all the piano parts he plays in this song, it just helps to make it much more believable. Ryan Gosling is one of my favorite actors, and he always gives amazing performances in all his films. Also lots of credit to Emma Stone who seems to be getting better every year herself. 

As I said before, the story is one that's been told many times before. The way everything comes together in this film really makes the story feel special and different than anything I've seen recently. I got connected to the characters, and I understood the struggle they were going through, and I could feel their pain alongside them. It's something that almost everyone can relate to, having a dream and chasing it. Their's hard work, pain, tears, rejection, financial struggle, and it sometimes just doesn't feel worth fighting for anymore. This film does a great job of not only showing those emotions, but letting you feel them alongside the characters. It's a story about sacrifice, what could be and what could have been. 

If you get a chance to see this film, I recommend it 100%. For some it might be hard to look past the musical aspect of the film (as I know it's not for everyone). But if you can look past that, you get a memorable film with lots of heart and passion. Clearly both of those things went into making this movie, which is why it's so great.

Overall Grade: A

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Billboard Year End 100 Review Part I

Billboard Year-End List Review: Pt. I

It's already the end of the year and the year-end Hot 100 list was released by Billboard recently. It's been a pretty slow year for pop music, with good songs rarely hitting the charts and mediocre songs all around the pop charts, and even some really bad songs. It was a bad year to start doing these reviews I guess, because this year feels a lot worse than recent years in the year end list. Last year had some great surprises like Uptown Funk, Shut Up and Dance, Blank Space, Can't Feel My Face, Lean On as some of the great songs that popped out. 2014 wasn't so bad either with Counting Stars, Pompeii, Royals, Boom Clap, Ain't It Fun to name a few great pop songs. This year wasn't as memorable overall, and there were a few good songs and possibly a great one or two as i'll talk about in my Top 10 Best songs later on in part 2.

So not surprisingly Justin Bieber had the most popular song of the year, which makes sense since his album came out late last year and had all year to get streaming and sales numbers. The surprising part though, is that not only did he have the most popular song, but he has the top 2 spots with "Love Yourself" and "Sorry". Kind of a bummer, since I liked "Sorry" a lot more than what actually took the top spot. Honestly the only single I really liked from the album was "Sorry" as it was the only song I felt like listening to more than once. "What Do You Mean?" also hit the charts at the 31 spot, so overall I think Bieber won the year in terms of singles (also including his guest vocals on Major Lazer and DJ Snake singles). There were a few contenders who had more hits on the charts at lower positions, but I think overall Bieber was the most popular in 2016. Thankfully that means that he's probably going to have a lighter 2017, and i'm hoping something better comes along and surprises me in a good way.

If Adele releases an album you already know it's going to be a huge deal that year. No difference this time as she had the best selling album of the year with "25", hitting the number one spot when it first came out and sticking around the charts for 54 weeks so far in album sells. In terms of singles though this is another strong year for Adele, with three hits on the year end (Hello, Send My Love and When We Were Young). Focusing on the Hot 100 songs, Bieber still wins this year over Adele. Decent songs from Adele, though I didn't find them as memorable as the ones from 21 or even 19.

The sad part of the year end list is of course my favorite artist Drake (I write as I vomit). With SIX (Why God) SIX singles (not including guests vocals) on the year end chart. Honestly that probably means that the real winner of 2016 is Drake, but I would never actually admit that. Drake's album "Views" was a very weak album, and yet it was the second highest selling album this year because for some reason the world likes to give lazy, boring music money. Seriously, why did so many people buy this album and continue to listen to it after hearing it? I tried to listen to it, and it just feels so boring and lifeless and it's 20 tracks long. 20. Tracks. Long. 20 Tracks of Drake trying to make music but not doing a good job. I can only hope that Drake doesn't make an appearance next year or release new music. 2017 will automatically be a better year without Drake, so please stay away.

Out of nowhere comes Twenty One Pilots in 2016. An artist I've been listening to for quite a while now, and I really like the album Blurryface when it was first released. Never did I think this could actually make the charts, let alone get 2 songs in the top 20 of the year, and a third song with "Heathens". To be honest, Blurryface hasn't aged well since I first got it. It's a great album, but around the time it was starting to get big was when I was growing tired of listening to it and I put it down for the rest of the year. Still, I am so happy to see something like this on the charts. A very unique artist, who feels very different than all the other artists on the end of the year list. I'm hoping that they stick around the pop charts when they release new music, and also that there next album is as interesting as Blurryface. Overall I like all the songs that charted this year from these guys.

Now for an artist who's dominating the current pop charts and has a good amount of songs on the end of year list, The Weeknd. His current album recently released, so it really had no effect on this year end list, and half of the songs on the list are from his last album. I guess people haven't grown tired of songs like "The Hills" and "Can't feel my face" after all this time, which shows people really like this artist and continue to keep these songs on the charts after all this time. His biggest hit this year was of course "Starboy" which can't seem to make it past the number 2 spot, being beaten by two weaker songs in "Closer" and "Black Beatles". There's still time for that song to make it there though, and maybe it will have enough staying power to make it to next year's list.

Moving straight past Rihanna's forgettable songs this year to talk about the last big artist of 2016 that i'm going to talk about. Chainsmokers released a lot of big (not good) singles this year. "Closer" was one of the biggest singles this year, staying at the number one spot for several months too long. Though "Don't let me Down" actually did better numbers since it was out longer, I don't think it was actually bigger than "Closer". Still all the songs that charted weren't special in any way, and got old after a few listens. Just another artist I hope stays away from next year, but sadly will probably release more singles to make more money from people.

The rest of the chart this year was mostly filled with more forgettable songs. Beyonce strangely only got one song with "Sorry" all the way down at the 71 spot. Lots of songs that I will forget in a couple of weeks, by artist I've never hear of and will probably never see on the charts again (Silento, Kent Jones, DNCE). Not every song was terrible, but most were just boring and standard and there was only really one song that I really liked (i'll say what song in the next part).

OVERALL GRADE: D

Lots of boring songs this year, and not enough good or memorable songs that stood out above the rest. Most of the songs this year I won't be coming back to anytime soon, with a few exceptions. Lots of disappointing or just bad releases by big artists like Drake, Rihanna, Chainsmokers, Meghan Trainor, Charlie Puth, Shawn Mendes, Sia and more releasing bad albums alongside bad singles. It was hard to find some good songs and pretty impossible to find great songs. Here's hoping next year is a lot better, and with some albums to look forward to (Eminem, Major Lazer, U2, Charli XCX, Gorillaz, and The Killers) maybe things will be different. Thankfully outside of the pop music world, it was a really great year for music with lots of fantastic albums by lots of great bands. Here are some artists that released some really great albums:

Tribe Called Quest (Hip-hop)
Bad Suns (Indie Pop)
Paper Route (Indie Rock)
Halfnoise (Indie Pop)
Jeff Buckley (Rock)
Panic! at the Disco (Pop)
Weezer (Rock)
Lumineers (Folk Rock)
Chance the Rapper (Yodeling)
Catfish and the Bottlemen (Indie Rock)
Beartooth (Metal)
Ladyhawke (Indie Pop)
Jimmy Eat World (Rock)
Descendents (Punk)
Thrice (Rock)
Young the Giant (Indie Rock)
Bastille (Pop Rock)
Kings of Leon (Rock)

Just some ideas for artists you should check out, there's a lot more great ones that released music this year, but those are a few memorable ones. Also, if you liked a lot of the music from this year's pop charts that's great and i'm glad you can enjoy it. I understand what pop music is supposed to be and I know it's not always going to be high quality, meaningful or even highly creative. Still, I know there's a way to make great pop music, as artists like Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, Adele and others have shown me. There's a need for more creative, passionate people that have a love of music and have fun with it in the pop music world. There needs to be more energy and more risks from these artists, not just the same old repetitive lazy music (Drake). Look forward to seeing what 2017 has to offer... there's no way it can be this bad again right?

(Juju on that beat didn't make the list though, so for that reason i'll change the grade to a D+)
(Wait no, Watch me by Silento made the list... that deserves an automatic F, which i'm sure he's used to seeing.)

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Billboard Worst of the Year!

Top 10 Worst of the Year 2016

So it's almost the end of the year, and the billboard charts aren't really moving much and probably won't for the rest of this last month, so I though it would be a good time to go over some highs and lows of the pop music year. Starting with the lows today, and boy there was a lot to go through for this list. It's going to be a lot easier picking the best list because there wasn't as much to love, but for this list I thought it would be easier if I just stuck with songs that made the top 20. If I do this again next year I hope to spend more time and listen to more chart music so I can get a better picture of the year. So here's a list of rules I made up just now for the list this year:

- Song had to be in the Top 20 at least one week of the year 2016

- Not including those weird novelty dance songs like Juju on that Beat or Watch Me because they are too easy/obvious to make fun of or hate

- Only one song per artist (not including feat.) so that the whole list isn't just Drake and Chainsmokers over and over

- Can't use these songs next year (if I do one next year) on the list, as some may be in the charts early 2017. 

So those are the rules for now, just to make it a little more interesting as well as easier to pick from instead of 100s of songs to search through cause I don't have time for that (or hate myself enough to do it yet). Also, like most music on billboard, i'm rating these on pop song standards... so I understand that these songs are never supposed to be as good as the other music that doesn't make it to the charts, and I know these songs are trying to play to the general audience of radio and streaming. Still that excuse can only go so far... Let's start.... (sigh)

Almost made the list:  

Don't Mind - Kent Jones: Ahhh, another song about a guy who likes girls of all races and sleeps with all of them cause he's so cool and famous (even though this is his only hit song). It's been done many times before by artists like Pitbull (who name drops a location in all of his songs) , Jason Derulo, Drake and Lil' Wayne have all done this type of song and did it pretty terribly as well. This song doesn't do anything new lyrically or musically, and it's just boring. The chorus thinks it's being clever with the different languages, but it's more annoying than clever and it gets old fast. Still Kent Jones doesn't really have much else and it's unclear wether he'll be around the charts ever again. For that reason I didn't put him in the top 10, and let him off the hook. 

i hate u, i love u - gnash: Besides the fact that the I's aren't capitalized, there's plenty of other things wrong with this one. gnash's vocals are so lifeless and emotionless, for a song that's trying to be very emotional and heavy. The music doesn't do much except the light piano in the background that only really does a few chords throughout the song, and the light bass sounds and weird clapping/snapping sounds? Like I said a few months ago, the song just feels so flat and it stays at the same level the whole time. What keeps it from being on the list is the fact that the lyrics are actually talking about something that matches the sad and soft music, and it feels different from a lot of the music that was on the charts around the time I suppose at least in terms of lyrics. At the very least it seems to be trying to say something important, even if it doesn't do a good job at it. 

Don't Wanna Know - Maroon 5: I've written about this song a few times already so I don't want to repeat myself too much. To sum it up, I hate seeing artists with talent and potential just put out a lazy song like this that sounds like everything else on the radio right now. This song could have been written and performed by anyone and it wouldn't be that much different. Also Kendrick Lamar has one of the worse verses he's ever performed. How many songs about this subject are going to be in the charts this year, the whole "we broke up and I keep thinking about you with someone else" subject has become so overused in pop music these past years. Still it's an okay song overall compared to a lot of bad songs this year, and Adam's vocals are still nice to listen to on here. 

There were other songs that were close, but I decided not to include like Cake by the Ocean or Treat You Better. They were bad sure, but at least I didn't hate listening to them that much like the songs I did put on the list. It was tough choosing which song I disliked the most or the least, so the order can be changed a little. The hardest part was choosing the 10th song and the first song, as there were a few that I struggled to rank. I tried not to let my feelings of the artist themselves affect the list, but in the end I think those feelings are what made me dislike some songs more than others as i'll explain. Also.... if you like any of these songs it's cool and i'm glad you can find a way to enjoy them, but this is just how I feel. 

10. Work - Rihanna: "If you had a twin i'd still choose you" - Drake 2016
With classic lines like that this song was destined to be on this list. Sorry to say I can't really understand Rihanna throughout half of this song. The chorus just repeats words over and over to an annoying point and at some points it just sounds like Rihanna is mumbling her lines. The music is boring like most pop music this year (sorry if I repeat that complaint a lot, it's hard to ignore in all these pop songs). The music just feels really weak throughout the whole song. Still this song is far from the worse this year which is why it's all the way at my 10 spot. I still get some enjoyment out of hearing Rihanna mumble half the chorus, at least in a comedic way. She seems to be putting more emphasis on her accent on this song than some of her other songs, so I can give it a pass for that.

9. H.O.L.Y. - Florida Georgia Line: Speaking of lazy songs, Florida Georgia Line return to the top of the charts with their amazing song HOLY. Honestly I feel bad about putting this on the list because i'm not really huge on country music, but I know it can be done better than this. This doesn't even really feel like a country song, except the fact it's performed by Florida Georgia Line. Super cheesy cliche lyrics and super basic music with nothing exciting happening throughout the whole song. I know there's country music out there that's actually good or at the very least trying to be good, so it's sad that this super lazy song is the one that made it pretty high on the charts above the rest of them. I guess i'm just happy that this song wasn't annoying as "Cruise" and "This is How We Roll".

8. Low Life - Future/Weeknd: The power of Drake is strong with this one. I thought Drake was the king of boring songs that could put you to sleep in seconds, but Future looks to be trying to his throne. This song has zero energy musically and vocally, both singers sound like they haven't slept in weeks when they were recording and are trying their best to stay awake to finish recording. Why have a great singer like The Weeknd only to have him barely try to sing the chorus. Why is the music so boring? Why is Future allowed to make music? Why?

7. My House - Flo Rida: Here comes the artist as interesting as a blank paper, Flo Rida. I never want to hear the word house again after hearing this song (he says it a total of 18 times the whole song or 24 if you count synonyms). Also I always get really annoyed during the chorus when he does that sloppy stretch of the line "we don't have to go out". Seriously though, Flo Rida has really only made one decent song in "good feeling" and the rest of his music has been pretty terrible.

6. Work From Home - Fifth Harmony: The idea of a song about missing someone you care about because you both work different times of the day is not a bad one, but it's not executed well here. The worst part of the song is of course the lazy chorus that repeats the word "work" over and over till it doesn't make sense anymore. Also this is one of those songs that repeat the same music loop over and over until the end of the song, and it gets old pretty fast. Also there's these weird sounds during the second verse that sound really out of place, a weird squeaky noise. Also Ty Dolla $ign does a verse so that's a thing. Also the word "work" is said 97 times in this song, so that's cool.

5. Roses - Chainsmokers: The drop in this song is so bad, I always die a little inside when it happens. So I know music like this has a big focus on the "cool" electronic sounds and effects, but none of that stands out here. I found the music on this one to be really annoying, with all the frustrating vocal effects used and the equally frustrating random "what" chanting in the background. This song just feels one giant mess and nothing feels right together in here. The vocals and music together don't work together and it makes it really hard to listen to this song all the way through. Chainsmokers made had a lot of bad songs this year, but this one stands out above them in all the wrong ways.

4. Me Too - Meghan Trainor: When I first heard this song the first thing that popped into my head was Will.i.am, because musically this sounds a lot like something he would do. The bass sounds sound like they came straight from a Black Eyed Peas song or a song produced by Will.i.am. Normally I find a lot of Will.i.am's music to be pretty annoying, so the fact that this sounds like it doesn't help me enjoy this, as the bass sounds are really annoying and overdone in this song. Also hearing Meghan Trainor trying to be so cocky and cool just doesn't really work for her, I just don't believe it coming from her. At least I can say she was trying to do something new, which is why this song isn't any higher, but it's still a pretty annoying song.

3. We Don't Talk Anymore - Charlie Puth/Selena Gomez: A tough question I had to ask myself when making this list: Who is worse - Charlie Puth or Shawn Mendes? After some thought, the clear answer was Charlie Puth (at least this year). Not only releasing the super cheesy and unsexy "Marvin Gaye", he makes this equally lame song with Selena Gomez that's about the same overused subject like "Don't Wanna Know" by Maroon 5. The vocals in this song stay in the same tone throughout the whole runtime never doing anything interesting. The lyrics don't add anything new to this subject that's been done to death, it feels so bland and unoriginal. A lot of my frustration with pop music comes from either extremely boring songs with no emotion or songs like this one that take a subject that's been done so many times and doesn't add a single new thing to it. It just feels like one of those songs that could have been written by any song writer and could have been much better with a different performer.

2. Fake Love - Drake: Drake is the king of boring songs that make me want to sleep, and most of the time actually do put me to sleep. I tried to listen to this while driving once, and it was a really bad idea. An artist that has been around as long as Drake has no excuse in releasing something this boring. BUT that's Drake thing right? Making music that's lifeless and boring with no passion. Music that's whiny and all about Drake complaining about people or his life. It's impressive the music is somehow even more boring than Drake's vocals in this song. I really wish people would stop buying and listening to bad music like this just because it comes from an artist that's already established and known around the world. I really think if this song was written by someone who wasn't as famous or popular as Drake people would hate it. Then again... I can't really speak for the majority, as I have no idea what they actually like, since artists like Flo Rida, Charlie Puth, Drake and Future all have huge hits this year. Drake needs to try something new and put more energy into his music, or at least just show some passion and emotion in his lyrics. Hopefully people will start to see how lazy this is and stop listening.

1. Gold - Kiiara: It was so hard trying to choose between this song and Drake for the worst of the year. This song is SO ANNOYING to listen to, and it was very hard listening to more than once. I just can't listen to this song all the way through, by the second chorus I have to change it. The chorus is one of the most frustrating things that i've heard all year, it really gets under my skin. The rest of this song is bland, boring and repetitive, but the chorus just takes it to a whole new level of bad. The lyrics repeat multiple times throughout the song, making the song that much harder to get through (since it doesn't make sense half the time anyway). While Drake might be boring, at least I can listen to his songs all the way through. This song somehow made it all the way to the TOP 13 spot and lasted 27 weeks on the HOT 100 charts. How can anyone give this a pass? How can anyone put up with the gibberish chorus? Please keep music like this away from the charts and the radio, it's not good at all.

But anyway, that's my list of worst songs. Next time i'll be looking at my favorite pop songs of the year, so that should be a lot better for my ears. Thanks for reading and putting up with my negativity if you made it this far, and remember to support indie artists out there who are trying new things and putting a lot of passion in there music. But also keep listening to the pop artists you love regardless of what other people think, because in the end it's all opinion and you have the right to your own. Now I must go to sleep because I have to go to "WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK."

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