It’s fair to say that 2015 hasn’t exactly been a vintage
year for pop music. That’s not to say there haven’t been some brilliant albums,
but there’s been a distinct lack of some major players this year. And despite
some incredible singles, albums haven’t quite managed to match their quality.
Is the album dying? Probably not, but sporadic hits are definitely more
widespread. To that end, choosing ten albums that reflect the year and putting them in some semblance
of order is a tough task, but that’s what the end of the year is all about
right?
10. Troye Sivan – Blue Neighbourhood
Why it made the top 10:
2015 was the year that YouTube stardom reached new heights. Halsey
may have got there first, but it was Troye Sivan who caused the biggest stir
when his debut album was released this December, proving that being a YouTube
star is far more than just silly viral vlogs. There’s genuine heart and emotion
to Sivan’s music that, along with the downbeat synthy production, appeals to
the sadface teen in all of us – even if the best songs were heard earlier on
his ‘Wild’ EP. More so, as an out gay popstar with a huge following, the future
is incredibly bright.
“…it’s the
honesty of the songwriting that really impresses, wrapped up in nagging hooks
and production that’s warm and comforting one minute and coldly modern the
next. It’s no coincidence that a popstar whose fame has arisen on the internet
would create an album full of computerised music, but there’s genuine heart
here that pulls it all together.”
Best track: Wild
9. Kate Boy – One
Why it made the top 10:
There was a tonne of brilliant Scandi-pop released in 2015,
but Kate Boy stand out for their darker, grittier sound mixed with glittering
melodies, whilst singer Kate Akhurst’s guttural vocal brings an earthy, almost
animalistic quality. It’s perhaps a little disappointing that their sound hasn’t
developed since the release of their debut EP in 2012 and ‘One’ does repeat a
lot of similar ideas. Yet when the throbbing electronic beats consistently build
to such thrilling, euphoric climaxes, it makes for an infectious listen.
“…the band
display economy of sound, creating a whole album of urgent pop from a limited
palette. With electro-pop so prevalent in Scandinavia, Kate Boy have managed to
carve a sound that's all their own, full of nagging hooks, a unique vocal, and
production with an alluringly dark edge.”
Best track: Higher
8. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
Why it made the top 10:
“Every n***** is a star” goes the opening lyric. Yet some
stars shine brighter than others and Kendrick Lamar is the central inferno to
which all other rappers should turn to. Every element of ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’
drips with racial politics, from the personal lyrics that depict his own place
in society to the re-appropriation of traditionally black genres. Drake may
have provided the rap anthem of the year in Hotline
Bling, but Lamar’s album is a more mature, powerful and vital collection of
songs, cementing his place as the year’s most important rapper.
“There’s thematic
depth here that requires repeated listening to comprehend, but it proves far
more rewarding than the shouted rants of other similar hip hop artists. This is
an album that surely resonates with a wider cultural context.”
Best track: King Kunta
7. Björk – Vulnicura
Why it made the top 10:
Björk does heartbreak. Need I say more? ‘Vulnicura’ is
perhaps Björk’s most personal and candid album to date, inspired by the
breakdown of her relationship with partner Matthew Barney. Lyrically this is
raw stuff as she demands “show me emotional respect”, but the way the production
– combining many elements from her previous work – integrates with the lyrics
through word painting is beautiful to behold. In a year full of break-up
albums, Björk’s stands as the most visceral of all.
“As with all of
her output, this is a musically and lyrically rich avant garde album in which
to thoroughly lose yourself, blessed with her unique Icelandic magic.
Heartbreak may be prevalent in all forms of music, but rarely is it depicted in
such an emotionally affecting and strangely relatable way as here.”
Best track: History of Touches
6. Years & Years – Communion
Why it made the top 10:
Years & Years began the year on a high after winning the
BBC Sound of 2015 poll. They end the year somewhat critically panned. For some,
debut album ‘Communion’ was a disappointment. For others, their music was
simply overplayed. Yet Years & Years are surely worthy of a place on end of
year lists for their combination of 2015’s hottest R&B/house/pop trends,
but more so for their command of melody. King,
first released way back in January, remains the best pop track of the year with
its layers of joyously uplifting melodies – an approach that’s consistent with
the album at large, if never quite matched.
“Every track is
built around an infectious hook, but King is a prime example, layering and developing its
melodies right through to the final notes. Whether glorious, menacing, yearning
or melancholic, emotion is key - every melody makes you feel something,
overcoming any lyrical shortcomings.”
Best track: King
5. Adele – 25
Why it made the top 10:
“Hello…it’s me”. Three words that sent the music industry in
a frenzy. ‘25’ is amongst the biggest selling albums ever, let alone this year,
and for good reason. Adele may re-tread familiar themes through safe
production, but few singers can deliver such gut-punching ballads with this
level of conviction. Adele succeeds because she is the everyman, a popstar who
morphs personal feeling into relatable emotions that have a profound resonance
with the listener. Other artists may have shown a greater willingness to
experiment, but 2015 was the year that Adele - her soulful voice and hysterical
laughter - rose to god levels of super-stardom.
“Even “not quite
as good” Adele, though, is still a remarkable singer-songwriter, who makes
music out of personal tragedy and is a voice for us all, a voice that is deep
and rich and powerful and loaded with feeling. She is a soul singer not just in
that her voice is soulful, but in that it cuts through to our own souls and
strips us to our core.”
Best track: Hello
It’s frankly a crime against music that this album hasn’t
performed better commercially. Perhaps it’s because of a poorly conceived album
campaign. Perhaps it’s because the general public already reached peak Jepsen
after the release of Call Me Maybe in
2012. Or perhaps it just sounds a bit too much like Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’.
Either way, ‘Emotion’ is the culmination of some incredible pop talent creating
an 80s inspired album that’s polished to near perfection and sung by a squeaky
clean, adorable singer. From the giddy rush of Run Away With Me, to the nagging earworm of I Really Like You and beyond, this is sophisticated bubblegum pop
that’s frothy but consistently enjoyable.
“…it's quite the
team behind 'Emotion' - some of the best writers and producers in modern pop,
in fact. The result is an impossibly polished 80s-influenced album, delivered
through the effervescent personality of Carly Rae - just on the right side of
adorable/nauseating.”
Best track: Run Away
With Me
3. Justin Bieber – Purpose
Why it made the top 10:
Who would’ve predicted this at the start of the year? No matter
what you think of Bieber personally, he’s become second only to Adele in the
global superstar stakes. Finally dropping the childish stigma of Baby, ‘Purpose’ is a far more mature
album than you may expect, with a specific sound that corners the market for
happy-sad dance-pop (just ignore the soppy ballads). With Where Are Ü Now, What Do You
Mean and Sorry, Bieber’s had
three of the biggest singles of the year, finally living up to the potential he
showed from such a young age. Finally, it’s cool to like Bieber.
“The key song
here is Sorry. Sure,
it embodies this 2015 ‘Bieber sound’, but more so it’s an apology in more ways
than one, summing up his career so far and marking a turning point for the
future.”
Best track: Sorry
2. Emilie Nicolas – Like I’m A Warrior
Why it made the top 10:
2015 was full of break-up albums, but it was Norway’s Emilie
Nicolas (not Adele!) who created the most emotionally arresting collection of
songs. With its widescreen electronic production drenched in intense melancholy,
this is an album that transports us through sadness, anger, desperation,
nostalgia and hope, all tinged with a cold darkness that exemplifies Nordic
Noir. This is the sort of album you can lose yourself in for hours on repeat,
where a single lyric can cut like a knife through lush, gloomy synths, where
painful truth finds cathartic release.
“This is an
album, then, that travels through the mixed emotions of an ending relationship...And
alongside these emotions there's polished and detailed electronic production
that shows restraint in the face of melodrama; pain and misery in the heavy
beats, stabbing strings and icy synths; beauty in the breakdown.”
Best track: Pstereo
Why it made the top 10:
To be honest, any of these albums could’ve taken the top
spot in a year where no one album truly stood out above the rest. ‘Art Angels’
isn’t a perfect album, but it’s arguably the most unique and creative album on
this list. Grimes is a wildly experimental artist who takes genres like punk, rock,
folk, electro and K-pop, chews them up and spits them out into something
glorious and new. That’s as true on ‘Art Angels’ as it’s been on any of her
previous albums. Yet here that experimentation is underpinned by a strong pop
sensibility, where crazy ideas are given strength through infectious hooks,
where grand sweeping production is littered with tiny details, where
challenging music slowly creeps under your skin and refuses to let go. In
short, ‘Art Angels’ is a triumph of the individual, and in today’s industry of
identikit pop music that’s something of a rarity.
“…Boucher has an
ear for pop melody and that happy-sad thing that all good pop has, yet equally
a complete punk disregard for style and genre. She doesn’t quite operate in a
vacuum – after all, you can pick out her influences – but not once does she
attempt to conform to expectations.”
Best track: Flesh
Without Blood
Honourable Mentions:
Tame Impala - Currents
Susanne Sundfør - Ten Love Songs
Jamie xx - In Colour
Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon
And here's a playlist of 2015's best songs...
Honourable Mentions:
Tame Impala - Currents
Susanne Sundfør - Ten Love Songs
Jamie xx - In Colour
Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon
And here's a playlist of 2015's best songs...
