Another year, more music. We faced such hardship, experienced such comradery, and expressed such passion that we had no choice but to flock to the albums that spoke to us. In a year that many consider to be the tumultuous year of our generation, where else could we go to seek comfort and to be uplifted. The most massive of musical events, benchmarks and records all took place in 2016, and the only thing we have to show for it is what we thought, subjectively, but collectively, were the best music releases of the year.
We cried with the passing of legends (rest in peace David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen…) and danced with the wildest of singles (talkin’ about “Vroom Vroom”) but we mostly argued about everything and nothing at all, all things music. This year was probably the best and hardest year to make any sort of decision of what was the more impressive release, so we resorted to good old fashioned voting and let statistics decide for us. Everything else we tried to construe in prior lists. Now, this is for all the marbles. Radio UTD presents its favorite albums of the year with the Top 25 list of albums from 2016.
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25. David Bowie – Blackstar
Two days. For two all-too-brief days, Blackstar was an icon’s latest masterpiece instead of his parting gift. Although Bowie’s death threatened to overshadow his final album entirely, these songs transcend their sorrowful circumstances.
Bowie poetically reconciles his mortality with his ceaseless creative drive. The album’s stunning centerpiece, “Lazarus”, alludes to Biblical tales of resurrection while acknowledging the allure of passing on (“I’ll be free, just like that bluebird”). Whereas many rockers musically stagnate as they age, Bowie’s adventurous spirit shines throughout. “Girl Loves Me” is a menacing yet sexy lurch, its intonation and slang akin to Young Thug and A Clockwork Orange. “Tis A Pity She Was A Whore” is the closest Blackstar comes to conventional pop, but even that is a blend of shrieking horns, galloping drums, and icy new-wave synths. Bowie’s backing band is remarkably virtuosic and expressive, especially saxophonist Donny McCaslin. McCaslin’s sax serves as Blackstar‘s battered but beating heart, at various points sounding like a solemn siren, a sputtering panic attack, or a tidal wave threatening to swallow the song entirely. Bowie’s passing was the first blow from this dismal year, but his final gift will outlive all of 2016’s heartaches. – Daniel Valdez
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24. Young Thug – No, My Name is Jeffery
Listening to Young Thug is not for everybody. He doesn’t rap as much as he does squeak and squeal on the mic and he’s known to wear women’s clothing from time to time. He’s a weirdo, but he embraces his quirkiness with a master’s touch on Jeffery, his masterpiece of an album that dropped in August. Each song is named after one of his idols (e.g. “Wyclef Jean,” “RiRi,” “Future Swag,”) and each track does its best to pay homage to the sound of the artists it has been named in honor of. But Jeffery doesn’t simply try to swagger jack on the work of others and pass it off as something new. Rather, Thugger takes the pieces he’s been given by others and crafts his own bizarre and beautiful creation that stands out on its own. 2016 had a number of albums that turned heads and changed the game for the better, but none of them may have been more fun. – Esteban Bustillos
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23. YG – Still Brazy
YG’s first break through hit came in 2010 via a song called “Toot It and Boot It,” which, unsurprisingly, is an ode to having one night stands with random clubs girls. (I.e. tooting it and then booting it) But in the six years that have passed since that iconic moment, YG has matured in ways once unimaginable and on his sophomore effort, Still Brazy, the Compton MC has much more to talk about than simply chasing girls. From the foreboding opening of “Don’t Come to LA” to “Who Shot Me?” to “Blacks and Browns,” YG paints a macabre picture of a life filled with landscapes of greed, gluttony and gangbanging. The album may sound like old timey West Coast gangster rap, but YG takes sonic palettes that listeners would expect from the likes of 90s era Dr. Dre or Nate Dogg and makes them feel like they belong in 2016 with tracks like “Twist my Fingaz”. More importantly “FDT,” (F*ck Donald Trump) a powerful rebuttal to the rise of the President-elect, stands out as 2016’s “Fight the Power.” In a year when a surprisingly small number of rappers took a political stance, YG rose to the occasion and carried the torch for disenfranchised people from all walks of life who are frightened and confused by the modern political climate. Is Still Brazy the best rap album of the year? No. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not the most important. – Esteban Bustillos
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22. Porches – Pool
Aaron Maine’s aesthetics ditch the gloomy folk from his last project, for a new, brighter synth pop identity on Pool. Porches’ new aesthetic sounds as if they were forged directly from online youth-culture; Maine’s melancholic lyrics are unique in their delivery and substance and the new lo-fi pop sounds are bright by nature. Together they develop a lonesome and dreary atmosphere. With its namesake, the project at many points incites vivid imagery in relation to water as symbol, like on the opening track “Underwater.” On tracks like “Be Apart”, Maine’s angst is vocalized as a yearning sense of belonging. The intimacy of this record is fortified by the fact the project was recorded in Maine’s New York City apartment. Porches utilize their shiny new synth and create a soundtrack for all those hipster dance parties, where nobody actually dances. – Kevin Barahona
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21. Joyce Manor – Cody
While Joyce Manor has slowly toned down the jagged punk of their self titled debut in favor of pop-punk leaning emo melodicism, they have since given us albums full of energetic anthems that just beg to be shouted along to in a live setting. Cody is no different. It’s the band’s most pop-based album to date, and also their longest, clocking in at a modest 24 minutes. Despite the album being shorter than your average Swans song, Joyce Manor packs in enough emotion and vivacity in their anecdotes to make it feel much longer. When you’re that wrapped up in the tunes, the album’s ending comes as a surprise time after time. Cody is undeniably fun and will stick around in the back of your head for weeks to come. – Savannah Sherer
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20. Kero Kero Bonito – Bonito Generation
In a year with many prominent albums featuring deep and heavy production, KKB throws a curveball with a very lighthearted release that is cut trim of any filler and completely apt to their style. With heavy influences from J-Pop music, Bubblegum Bass and an array of unorthodox musical samples, the electro-pop duo created a very fun album with a little something for everybody. Sugar-coated pop tracks about absolutely nothing (e.g. “Break”) glisten under well-polished production – a sort of anti-substance that is so relatable and untroubled, it’s fresh. That’s why we love it. – Youssef Mahmoud
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19. James Blake – The Colour In Anything
Soulful electronic crooner James Blake crafts his messiest, most varied album to date with The Colour in Anything. Across an hour and fifteen minutes, Blake throws every musical idea he has against the wall to see what sticks. While not every experiment works, the cumulative effect is stunning. Standout tracks “My Willing Heart” and “Choose Me” are some of the most passionate and interesting experiments he has ever recorded. Blake shows off his impressive soulful vocal range with songs like “f.o.r.e.v.e.r.” and “The Colour in Anything.” Also, the album contains some his most accessible pop tracks with the Bon Iver featuring “I Need a Forest Fire” and “Radio Silence.” Overall, The Colour in Anything is a great showcase of Blake’s impressive, multi-faceted talent. – Grant Hardaway
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18. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
When Phife Dawg passed away there was a question as to whether or not A Tribe Called Quest would go through with their next album. True believers knew that the loss of a founding member only seemed to further charge the group, hip hop is resilient like that, and sure enough, Tribe delivered. Thank You 4 Your Service… We Got It From Here may not be the most accessible hip hop record of 2016, but it is the most prestigious. By a combination of stellar production, thoughtful concepts, trade mark back-and-forth flows, and tight lyricism, Tribe sets the standard of Hip-hop for the year. Looking at the album and knowing the personal history involved and the atmosphere of troubled-waters that it was released in makes it something like a victory cry against the forces of oppression and mediocrity. – Carlos Fuentes
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17. Death Grips – Bottomless Pit
Perhaps Death Grips most “fun” record, Bottomless Pit finds the group morphing their sound into a relatively accessible form. Nevertheless, punishing aggression is still the polarizing trio’s ultimate aim (sorry, no 80s disco phase yet). Much like their previous output, MC Ride continues to rip his vocal chords to shreds while anchoring Flatlander and Zach Hill’s chaotic yet danceable instrumentation. While many of the songs work within their sonic comfort zone, the group continues to experiment with different textures on tracks like “Eh” and “80808.” In total, Bottomless Pit provides more evidence that Death Grips is one of the most idiosyncratic acts in hip-hop. – Grant Hardaway
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16. Anderson .Paak – Malibu
Although Malibu was released in January, its musical prominence remained for the entirety of 2016. Anderson .Paak’s second studio album defines .Paak’s musical adaptability. Malibu‘s overall sound is a drippy flow of surf, funk, R&B and hip-hop which mimics the nostalgic cohesiveness of channel surfing — kaleidoscopic vignettes of reflection, longing, and smoke-filled cars, with each track’s distinct genre revealing .Paak’s musical breadth. While the juxtaposition of .Paak’s lyrics and the garden of lush, diverse instrumentals isn’t always aligned, .Paak’s vocals push the sound together to create one impressive sonic force, worthy of both its Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album, and a spot on our Best Albums of 2016 list. – Yolanda Colon
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15. Field Guide – The Best Friends I Ever Had
Born from an immense for love honey butter chicken biscuits and Dallas, Field Guide have finally released their debut that both embodies the struggles and strengths of emerging adulthood. Field Guide comprises of five of the most creative and driven individuals in the Dallas music scene, all of which bring their diverse styles and abilities to this album. The Best Friends I Ever Had melds all of these personalities into a very solid and authentic album that pushes the boundaries of what many would consider “indie”. Utilizing everything from lush synth pads to layered vocal loops, Field Guide not only establish themselves as a strong band, but also as friends above all else through this album. Many of these songs have been written and performed for the most part long before the release of this album, and most would’ve just quickly laid down some takes and put it out for the sake of being done. However, Field Guide is not like most bands, therefore, they have released a beautiful album not like most other albums. From beginning to end, so much care has been given to every aspect of this album, and it comes across in the best ways possible. Allowing for a little bias, this album contains pensive lyricism, melodic arrangements, and full mixes that will make you cry, laugh, and dance in your Dallas Cowboy sweater in-between bites of Blue Bell Ice Cream all at once. You have been forewarned. – Kamaron Black
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14. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
It’s been five years since Radiohead released The King Of Limbs, an album that was mostly met with a lukewarm response from critics and casual fans alike. A Moon Shaped Pool sees the English quintet explore some of their most atmospheric music and autobiographical lyrics yet. While opening track “Burn the Witch” might have the listener believe the incessant tension throughout the track will be a key sound throughout the record, it is actually the only song of this nature. The album feels otherworldly and illusory; contact has been reached with the homesick alien we’ve been warned about since the days of OK Computer, except we are no longer “uptight”. Instead we have accepted our fate and are taking it as comes. – Erika Bocanegra
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13. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
February 12, 2016. The student media offices are silent, the lights are dimmed, and sizable chunk of Radio UTD’s finest are sitting in a semicircle around a single desktop monitor. Is the world coming to an end? Well, kind of. Kanye West is premiering his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo, at the Yeezy Season 3 fashion show to a sold out Madison Square Garden and a dozen awestruck radio kids in Richardson, Texas. The atmosphere is, at once, anticipatory and tense as hardcore fans pray to not be let down and casual observers look on with curiosity at whatever nonsense is sure to follow. What unfolds in the next few hours is all at once celebratory, pompous, confusing, monumental and extreme – the perfect manifestation of the creative genius that is Kanye West without boundaries.
Although it becomes harder with every passing day to defend Kanye West The Person, it’s unquestionable that Kanye West The Musician is still at the top of his game in his ability to deliver tracks that are instantly iconic. Could TLOP do with some editing? Probably. But put on “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” in the middle of a party and watch the masses join arm-in-arm to sing about bleached assholes and liberation. The surrounding hype to whatever West creates is powerful. Do we like it because it’s good or do we like it because it’s Kanye? Who cares. It’s a damn good time and TLOP embodies this for us. – Jamie Park
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12. Noname – Telefone
Noname’s mixtape is full of baby beats, sharp vernacular and playful commentary. In a year of critical hip-hop, Telefone is well into the ranks and Noname’s sunshiney release won’t let you forget it. Simple organs, snaps, clicks and the most innocent but compatible voice of the Chicago rapper present a mixtape so thought-provoking and admirable it can’t help but make you smile. Exquisite and eclectic production really jump out at first listen and keep the songs on repeat; a successive play-through only makes room for another. The blend of tracks is so congruently crafted you can’t really say there’s a definitive beginning and end, but a complete circle of thought to the release. This same production also allows Noname to ride her lyrics of love and death to brilliance, making light of the nuances with life, both good and bad, but all seriousness is evident if you truly can convey the message. Telefone is a one of a kind release that stands short but bright as hell. – Demir Candas
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11. Carseat Headrest – Teens of Denial
Nothing makes an album much more incredible than its relatability to the audience. Most of us lonely, weird and anxious college students can find this solace in Car Seat Headrest’s Teens of Denial. What makes singer Will Toledo so notable in this album is his wit. The lyrics reflect an awkward period of time in one’s life, those odd years between 19 and 25 when you’re an adult but you also feel too young for anything, while also exhibiting masterful abilities to curate a fuzzy, guitar rock sound in order to amplify his own personal anxieties that make up the signature Car Seat Headrest feel. – Nini Truong
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10. Mitski – Puberty 2
The success of 2014’s Bury Me at Makeout Creek made Mitski’s fourth album highly anticipated. On Puberty 2, Mitski strikes a gorgeous balance between dreamy synth ballads and powerful guitar driven anthems. She has a knack for carefully crafting beautiful, catchy melodies as well as intimate lyrics. Puberty 2 shows power in vulnerability, with heavy hitting songs that branch out from her previous conventions providing all kinds of catharsis. Mitski touches on the uncomfortable emotions of adulthood, handing us powerful songs that help us heal from anxiety, numbness, and disappointment. With this album, Mitski seals her status as fresh powerhouse in the world of indie rock. – Savannah Sherer
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9. Childish Gambino – Awaken, My Love!
Awaken, My Love! is not the album that Gambino fans expected at all. It’s such a deviation from any of his previous projects, a path where Gambino opts for singing rather than rapping and brings forth versatility and influence of funk artists past. Gambino’s apparent vocal abilities have matured a lot and is paired with wildly intricate instrumentation; his voice is raw with emotion, vigilant of pitch and tone, and giving himself the ability to completely change how he sounds. The risk was massive, but by releasing such an unexpected album it worked out really well for him. – Roman Soriano
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8. Kaytranada – 99.9%
It’s a tough call to make to pinpoint the genre of 99.9%. It doesn’t do Kaytranada justice to claim him as a hip-hop producer, nor just a Soundcloud dance artist. In truth, he is both, a multifaceted human of many leagues – spritely, stylish and unique. 99.9% is the colorful result of a lot of “figuring it out”, where Kevin Celeste has spent that last several years, some of his most critical and successful, building up himself to the point of happiness. Although this isn’t exactly the point of the album, it helps to know that 99.9% of the man behind Kaytranada is actually a person – one that isn’t perfect but can appreciate the things that come his way – and that the fruits of life are what you find. Dance has been an important outlet for Kaytra, and so has hip-hop, so he decided to do both and really well that that. Tracks with stunning and well balanced features such as “YOU’RE THE ONE” and “GLOWED UP” supply the remarkable skillsets of a musician fit for the scene, while the bangers such as “TRACK UNO” and “LITE SPOTS” showcase Kaytranada at his best. His videos are cunning and fun without regret and I think that’s just what he wants out of it. This was without a doubt a year reaped by Kaytranada, because he deserved it. The future is bright and the music is loud with Kaytranada at the helm. – Demir Candas
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7. Beyonce – Lemonade
2016 was the year of Beyoncé. Nominated for nine Grammy’s spanning various different genres for her musical and cinematic masterpiece Lemonade, an album/HBO film, Beyoncé took the world by storm. Again. But this is no ordinary album, folks. Lemonade dealt with heartache, romance and, most importantly, a sense of self. While she certainly may already be an incredibly powerful and important woman in the realm of music and pop culture, Lemonade certainly appeared to be the album where she evolved into her most defined form. Drawing influences ranging from rock to classic NOLA jazz, Beyoncé also expands her already well-endowed musical prowess, and the album includes collaborations with Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, Ezra Koenig, Diplo and James Blake, just to name a few. Her magnitude of sound and sheer intensity earns Lemonade a spot in musical history to come. – Nini Truong
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6. Blood Orange – Freetown Sound
It could be easy to dismiss Freetown Sound as just “another R&B album with a message” (I mean, just look at how many albums on this list could fit into that category) if it didn’t have that added oomph of Dev Hynes’ mastermind production. His style is instantly recognizable in every track he works on, whether his own or for another artist, and is always imbued with a certain sense of existential longing. What that longing is for shifts around between the hope for a more just society to a desire for more fulfilling interpersonal relationships. Features from incredibly of-the-moment collaborators Empress Of and Queen of [insert literally anything here] Carly Rae Jepsen as well as impressively established artists like Debbie Harry and Nelly Furtado give Hynes time to step back and show off his keen ability to cater is signature sound to fit other artist’s strengths. Freetown Sound ascribes to the idea that being profoundly introspective and outwardly politically conscious are not mutually exclusive – an increasingly important idea in modern pop. – Jamie Park
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5. Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Unmastered
Completely unanticipated but completely accepted, Kendrick’s newest release isn’t easily classified as an album, but it demands recognition based on what it reveals about Kendrick’s creative process behind To Pimp A Butterfly above all else. Kendrick has established himself as an artist that desires quality over a constant flow of releases to stay relevant, for his body of work speaks for itself. So why did he feel the need to add a release of untitled and mostly incomplete compositions to his discography? Featuring songs that were left off of TPAB due to sampling licensing and due dates, this Untitled Unmastered wears its perceived weaknesses as strengths. The studio talk, the joking, and the stripped back intrumentals both establish Kendrick’s heavy role in the studio and how strong of mindset those working of TPAB were set on since even these sketches maintain the sentiments of TPAB. His verses remain as poignant and telling even in a release of songs set aside. Only Kendrick and the artists that surround him can give a definitive answer, however, this release makes the most sense. – Kamaron Black
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4. Angel Olsen – My Woman
My Woman is split into two sides; the first half is full of tracks that demand to be paid attention, both sonically and lyrically. An obvious example is “Shut Up Kiss Me” whose crunchy guitars accentuate Olsen’s exasperated shout-singing and defiant delivery, begging her lover for embrace. The latter half, however, feels like mid-night week at a dive bar nearing closing time; the tracks are expansive and the night is desolate. It is not an album that aims to free Olsen from the indie-folks genre that’s been draped over her, but a testament that an artist can be both loud but vulnerable, abrasive while also dream-like. My Woman, is a statement from a musician firmly in command of where she wants her career to move towards. – Erika Bocanegra
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3. Frank Ocean – Blonde
Four years after his debut album channelORANGE, Frank Ocean finally released his follow up album. Blonde (or Blond) is a big change with true experimentation stretched across 17 tracks. Most of the project lacks any percussion, but instead Ocean purposfully chooses for fairly simple instrumentation and let his voice stand out. To reflect a certain period of his life, the pitch of his voice is altered on several songs, emulating the perception of multiple people, like on the opening track “Nikes.” Ocean has always been capable of perfectly capturing the feeling of nostalgia, and on this album he looks back at his teenage years, and also explores his sexuality. Blonde is an incredibly intricate album with a lot to dissect, while still being highly relatable, making this his best and deepest project yet. – Roman Soriano
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2. Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book
Over the past few years, no other rapper has built a following quite like Chance the Rapper. After 2013’s Acid Rap, the Chicago kid took the world seemingly by storm, gaining mainstream acceptance and quickly being mentioned in the same breath as hip-hop heavyweights such as Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. After his celestial verse on “Ultralight Beam” of The Life of Pablo, he stole the show from the game’s biggest star and the hype for Chance’s third project couldn’t be any bigger. So when Coloring Book finally did drop, Chance took the weight of the world and flung it off his shoulders in a triumphant victory of his will. Calling Coloring Book a rap album (or mixtape, depending on who you ask) seems too simplistic and one-dimensional.
This is a gospel-soul-trap as unique and glowing as the artist himself. Chance ignores the standards of the current game, breaks the mold and crafted out a genre unto himself. Chance is equal parts Michael Jackson, Q-Tip, Young Kanye West, Aretha Franklin and kids in the Chicago house scene simultaneously, and Coloring Book is the perfect reflection of that diverse background. From Future features on “Smoke Break” to the church hymns of “How Great,” there’s seemingly nothing that Chance can’t do. In the short run, Coloring Book will be seen as a joyful, playful album that anybody can dance to, but in the long run, it will be seen as something more. For a socially and politically trying year, Coloring Book stood as a beacon of hope for the downtrodden. It’s strange such a happy project represented such a dark time, but maybe that’s the point. We needed it most and Chance blessed us with the most important of gifts: optimism. – Esteban Bustillos
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1. Solange – A Seat at the Table
This year provided Solange with the perfect, tumultuous setting to release A Seat at the Table. Her third full-length studio album came 3 weeks after the release of her open letter And Do You Belong? I Do. A letter that was preceded by an altercation in New Orleans Solange Knowles had while with her family at a Kraftwerk concert. Similar to the letter, A Seat at the Table is a story about an experience. It is an evocative and intimate exploration of the experiences of a black woman. The album is a statement of Solange’s intention to not let others define her identity, her story, or her history.
A coherent masterpiece, each song adds to the personal narrative of her life. In this album, she goes on to describe intimate details of her youth; singing with exhaustive detail and doing so without alienating her audience. Instead, she creates musical invitation, inviting them to listen and relate. While she doesn’t divulge personal experiences, Knowles sings with a universal tone. She provides rebuttals to countless stereotypes of black woman, like on the track “Mad.” She not only calls out these stereotypes but, on a bed of pristine production and with biblical prose, calls for taking pride in your identity. On the track “F.U.B.U.,” Solange pays homage to all those who felt like they never belonged and those who have been victims of discrimination just because of who they are — and it acts as anthem for those people. An anthem stating their existence is something to be proud of, something that they can’t touch.
A Seat at the Table borrows motifs from a variety of genres: hip-hop, motown, R&B, soul, blues, and many more. It melts them together, combining them to create something wholly unique and powerful. The album’s compositions are mesmerizing, each note more beautiful than the one before and combined in perfect harmony; a musical triumph. Solange, with grace, took it upon herself to take pride of her own identity and create a harmonious combination of social commentary and music. A Seat at the Table, in 2016, is a poignant masterpiece that transcends the stereotypes of women, shatters misconceptions, and challenges the status quo. – Kevin Barahona