Camiele’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2016

40. BTS – WINGS

You couldn’t go virtually anywhere in the world without at least hearing about BTS last year. Having broken through the international market in a big way with 2015’s The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, when it came to the follow-up the boys of BTS took their creativity and popularity a step further and cemented themselves as Korea’s most viable music export. With WINGS the group expanded their musical vision, creating an album that was wrought with literary symbolism and beautiful imagery. Vocally they went for more, musically pushed their own boundaries and expanded the musical vocabulary of many of their more casual fans. Tracks like LieStigma, and Lost added a layer of emotional depth among the more beat-heavy tracks. Each member had their own feature, something mostly unheard of in Korean pop music, and beyond that the group itself pushed themselves further than they ever had. If nothing else, this is a great indication of the group’s trajectory—bringing in new listeners to the genre and expanding into more cerebral territory with each release.

You can listen to the album on Spotify and Tidal and purchase it on iTunes and at KTOWN4U.

39. Jaejoong – NO.X

It’s hard to believe that Jaejoong could actually one-up himself, but that seems to be the trend with every release. His gift to fans, NO.X showcased just how mature Jaejoong’s voice has become over his thirteen years in the industry. He’s managed to break almost every mold set by an idol since the system was put into place, and he does it with an ever increasing desire to expand his craft, particularly his songwriting. Though his themes seem to mostly focus around the peaks and valleys of love and relationships, his ability to craft lyrics that are both poignant and poetically introspective always impresses me. Meanwhile, his ear for music had him seek out and find some incredible producers who were able to round out his sound and give more depth to his voice. But what’s even more surprising is just how tender his voice becomes when pared down to sparse instrumentation, as in track Run Away. Really, NO.X was quite the gift and surprise for fans, and one can only hope he continues to mature with each release.

You can listen to the album on Spotify and purchase it on iTunes and at KTOWN4U.

38. Jonghyun – She Is

I described this album to people as Jonghyun’s janet. album—all love sounds and sensual colors. Truly, She Is was a force to be reckoned with when it came out. Jonghyun fully flexes his lyrical and compositional muscle to bring us one of the more overtly sexual albums to come out of K-pop, probably in the last few years. It was full of poetry, but each song painted a concrete image, each sense heightened and given full potency. There was a sweat-slickness to this piece of music. Though there were the typical “bops” one would come to expect from a SHINee release, there was something darker here, a little bit wicked at the sides. In almost every song, we were able to peel back every layer of Jonghyun’s inner demon, piece by painstaking piece, and what he exposed to us is just how willing he is to lay himself down, all vulnerability and wanting, and beg us to play with him as we will.

You can listen to the album on Spotify and purchase it on iTunes and at KTOWN4U.

37. Big Phony – Big Phony

I can honestly say there’s never a moment when I’m not just sincerely proud of Bobby. And with his latest release, his first in-studio full-length album, he yet again brought a smile to my face. To parallel his 2014 release, BobbyBig Phony is another self-titled offering, this time giving us another side of himself—his stage persona. But anyone who’s ever seen him perform knows that his true personality is never too far away from the surface. And fans of his music and his beautiful soul were more than willing to show him just how much they appreciate his art, donating to his Kickstarter to get this release made with all the trappings of a studio album. It was fully funded and then some within a week of the fundraiser being posted, and what Bobby gave us was some of his most enigmatic, heartfelt, and soulful music to date.

You can listen and purchase to the album on Big Phony’s Bandcamp and listen on Spotify and purchase it on iTunes.

36. Masego – Loose Thoughts

In all honesty, if Loose Thoughts wasn’t more a mixtape of demos, this would’ve been higher. That being said, damn this is some truly fantastic music! What’s labelled as “TrapJazzHouse,” it’s not an exaggeration to say Masego has redefined what it means to be a nu-jazz musician, giving us the same blissful bits of swing house and mixing in the exaggerated boom-bap of trap music. Loose Thoughts is a solid piece of magic wrapped in the mind-warp of a really good high. I was completely buzzed on this album for days afterwards. With tracks like YOU GON’ LEARN SOME JAZZ TODAY and Too Much, I was truly taken on a ride. This is an album you listen to to confuse your soul, both soothing it and giving it a groove it just can’t work out.

You can listen to the album on Masego’s Soundcloud.

35. Tinashe – Nightride

I actually feel like such a failure not keeping up with Tinashe. I first discovered this singer/dancer with her In Case We Die mixtape. I was stunned that someone that brilliantly trained in dance also had a gorgeous voice to boot. But me being me, I neglected to keep up with her. Thank God so many people kept talking about her last year, otherwise I would’ve missed this glorious mixtape. Nightride is everything I wanted it to be—sensual, sleek, and really, truly beautiful. There’s an undeniable femininity to the album, a raw, unrestrained look inside the strength, vulnerability, and power of a woman. I was really moved by the music. And despite a lot of it having a very similar sound and ultimately becoming just a bit one-note toward the middle, it’s still a gorgeous piece of music that should absolutely be listened to.

You can listen to the album on Spotify and Tidal and purchase it on iTunes.

34. Suga – Agust D

I literally don’t care what anyone has to say, Suga had one of the most explosive mixtapes of 2016. Say what you want about him exposing his demons, talking about his depression, or even his brazen bravado, Agust D was an outrageous piece of music. I fell in love with Suga’s voice when I first heard it on BTS’s breakout album Most Beautiful Moment in Life, that gruff growl and rude curl to his Daegu accent bursting with soul and power. Though not every track affected me like most who heard the album, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least moved and impressed with Agust D in its entirety. Anyone who can reference James Brown and E-40 with wit and integrity will always get extra points from me.

You can listen to the album on BTS’s Soundcloud and Tidal. You can download it with links from BTS’s Twitter account.

33. noname – Telefone

What can I say? I’m a sucker for melodic hip-hop. There’s something about being able to bring grittiness to something meant to be pretty. However, what separates noname gypsy from most who utilize the composition is she manages to curl her words around each chord, the piano an extension of her soothing voice. There’s so much tenderness in Telefone, so much soul. From the opening track, in which she proclaims, “I picture your smile like it was yesterday,” I felt myself falling in love. That’s what this album is about—finding those moments of solitude, sweet quiet, to reflect on love, those memories playing like film in your mind to days when things were breezier, much simpler and full of so much promise. This was one of those albums where you just felt hopeful and at ease. And with the craziness that was 2016, I can’t fault anyone for creating an album mean to highlight the finer points, even if they’re scattered among sadness.

You can listen to the album on noname’s Soundcloud and Tidal page. You can purchase it on iTunes.

32. Beyoncé – Lemonade

Okay, let me be honest here. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Beyoncé. It was never a reflection of her. Her music just never did anything for me, and when you’re not feeling somebody, it’s hard to understand all the hype. So largely I ignored her. Then my friend, who shares in my reticence to invest time in the singer, texted me in a tizzy and said, “You need to listen to Formation!” Okay… I’ll bite. WHEN I TELL YOU MY ENTIRE MIND FLIPPED! As soon as those first notes twined through, sounding like a mixture of the Delta and the Louisiana bayou, I was hooked and continued to be when she released the entire composition. I was actually impressed, to be honest. But not only that, I think my posture changed with Formation. Yes, I’m sure of it. I’d walk in the grocery store like everyone around me was a peasant. The power of Lemonade wasn’t lost on me. And though the visual album may not necessarily make me a hardcore fan, I’ll at least pay a little bit more attention if she’s going to continue on this path of being overtly militant and unapologetically black and proud. I’m here for her pissing people off and doing it still with more class than most of her naysayers.

You can listen to the album on Tidal.

31. Guten Birds – Things what may happen on your planet

I swear if you slept on the females in South Korea you were punishing yourself for no reason. Quite honestly the ladies, on all fronts, saved 2016. The Guten Birds have a sound that’s equal parts elegant and crunchy. It’s punk music that doesn’t shy away from the scream, but it soothes the bite with some of the purest musicianship I’ve heard from any band this year. Things what may happen on your planet is one of those albums that you put on when you want to lean back and let the music wrap around you. It’ll lull you into some peacefulness, then blow the pop music out your behind. These ladies know how to wrap some gorgeous composition around those raw vocals. Since seeing them at SXSW last year, I’ve been hooked. I was more than a little emotional when their album dropped.

You can listen to the album on Spotify.

Cy

As unexpected as my path was to loving all things weird, more unexpected is my ability to get attention for writing about the stuff.

4 Responses

  1. Wow, that Neon Bunny video is extraordinary!

  1. January 20, 2017

    […] 2: Thanks to Camiele for introducing me to K-indie electropop artist Neon Bunny and her stunning music […]

  2. January 15, 2018

    […] said last year when I posted my favorite albums of 2016 I was going to stretch for that 75. Turns out I’d done a lot more intensive listening in 2017 […]

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