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2015 was full of surprises. Kanye West, Rihanna, and Sir Paul McCartney made a song, Canadians ruled the charts (Drake, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Alessia Cara), and old favorites like Adele and Dr. Dre actually released new music. Who would have thought? Here are the 50 best songs of 2015. â Michael Heal50. Adele â âHelloâAdeleâs commercially groundbreaking comeback track from her 2012 Oscar-winning âSkyfallâ oozes nostalgia, careful lyricism, and a panging sense of regret. The sepia sibling to the 2011 monochromatic smash hit âSomeone Like You," âHelloâ is a story of reflection and growth. Equipped with luscious production that perfectly complements Adeleâs melodramatic, longing vocals, the track swells with an immense grandeur, soulful and impossibly powerful. Already the subject of a viral SNL skit, the track has landed firmly in the graces of pop culture, a testament to Adeleâs massive cultural legacy. Unforgettable and devastatingly timeless, âHelloâ is surely among Adeleâs growing catalogue of classics. â serein49. Dr. Dre feat. Marsha Ambrosius, King Mez & Kendrick Lamar â âDarkside/GoneââDarkside/Goneâ features two instrumentals, and three generations of Aftermath in just one song. King Mez takes the first verse, giving us an insight into the future of rap as the offspring of Cole and Kendrick. Heâs followed by the veteran Dr. Dre, who summarizes his illustrious career in two verses. Saving the best âtill last, Kendrick Lamar employs a jaw-dropping flow on one of his best features in a minute. We never thought weâd see another after Eminem, but the kid from Compton is quickly climbing his way to the top of Dreâs list of protĂŠgĂŠs. â Vuk AleksiÄ48. Lin-Manuel Miranda feat. Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton â Hamilton's âAlexander HamiltonâWhen Tony-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda picked up an 800-page biography of first US Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, he became convinced within 50 pages that this man's life deserved an epic hip-hop musical. The idea may look ridiculous on paper, but "Alexander Hamilton" is an undeniable proof-of-concept. Starting with only the briefest instrumentation, the song builds from a nearly acapella verse venemously spit by Hamilton's lifelong rival to a virtuosic chorus that relatesâwith an exhilarating immediacy for events that happened 200+ years agoâthe combination hardship and hustle that would propel Hamilton out of his impoverished Caribbean hometown and into 18th (and now 21st) century American superstardom. â epaulettes47. Halsey â âDriveâWhile itâs far from the most popular song on Halseyâs debut, âDriveâ may be the most vivid. Halsey described the track as âmore uniqueâ and âuninhibitedâ. Her personal account of a slow-burning relationship is sung to the tune of an engine, with car keys, âdoor ajarâ beeps, rain and a cassette player serving as ad-libs. With such picturesque elements, itâs not hard to get lost in this hyperrealistic setting. â streetlights46. Chance the Rapper feat. Saba â âAngelsâChance the Rapper took the nation by storm on October 26th, performing âAngelsâ live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with fellow buzzing Chicago artist, Saba. Through the acrobatic frontflips, the flashing lights, and the animated dance moves, it truly was the music that stood out. The muffled, yet soulful vocals, vibrant steel drums, and accompanying instrumentation from the Social Experiment set the stage for Chance and Saba to shine, speaking on the untimely deaths seen each day in Chicago. After shouting out Chicago radio stations, radio took notice, and an independent artist made waves across the nation. Catch up with the nation, and do your best juke to âAngels." â Mattw11645. Jme feat. Gigg's â âMan Donât CareâKanye Westâs performance of âAll Dayâ at the BRIT Awards, surrounded by two guys with flame throwers and some of the biggest names in grime, foreshadowed UK rapâs explosive growth in 2015. Veteran Tottenham MC Jme dropped his third and most commercially successful album, Integrity this summer, and âMan Donât Careâ quickly became its biggest track. With production from Swifta Beater thatâs as ruthless as the bars Jme and a snarling Giggs spit over it, âMan Donât Careâ not only stands out in the grime scene, but is one of the hottest bangers of 2015. â BasedGator44. Susanne Sundfor - "Delirious"Most anti-love songs involve the artist as the victim. However, Norwegian singer Susanne Sundfør plays the perpetrator with the power of a show-stopping villain. Cinematic violins make way to a foreboding 80s arpeggiator, as Sundfør self-harmonizes through her key changes. The words âI told you not to come, my victim #1â drives the point home. â Chihuahua043. Viet Cong - âDeathâDrake, The Weeknd and Justin Bieber had monster mainstream years, but based on creativity alone, Viet Cong were Canadaâs musical MVPs in 2015. âDeathâ perfectly encapsulates their triumphant dĂŠbut album. The first three minutes are led by a jingling, Donovan-esque guitar riff. Then the tempo kicks up a gear, and a real sense of dissonance and unease creeps in. Mike Wallaceâs phenomenal drum work drives the song on, whilst Matt Flegel succeeds where a hundred post-punk vocalists failed and perfectly captures the spirit of Ian Curtis of Joy Division. Itâs four songs in one, and all of them are gems. â Vesuvius42. Joey Bada$$ â âPaper Trail$âThe real intro to B4.Da.$$ sums up the title of the album perfectly. Backed by a soulful beat by DJ Premier and trademark scratches, "Paper Trail$" sees Joey realize money ruined everything around him. He noticed his friends become vanity slaves, and forced himself to be different. The song is a serious complaint against late capitalist culture, delivered with so much honesty that it makes us wonder if Joey will ever sign a major label contract - even if it is for 3 million dollars. â Sem Groeneweg41. Rihanna feat. Kanye West & Paul McCartney â âFourFiveSecondsâRihanna is, by all counts, a pop gamechanger. An artist that is constantly revamping her image and style, the Barbadian singerâs âFourFiveSecondsâ is probably the closest thing in her discography to a folk track. With its acoustic, minimalist production, and set of visceral vocals, âFourFiveSecondsâ is a sure example of Rihannaâs versatility and daringness - the record is no doubt the very antithesis of the great majority of her work. Backed by Kanye West and Paul McCartney, fresh off their âOnly Oneâ collab, âFourFiveSecondsâ is simple, timeless, and a hangover ode for the ages. â serein40. Carly Rae Jepsen â âRun Away with MeâBacked up by a blaring horn hook, one of the yearâs best pop singles comes from none other than the girl who wants you to call her (maybe) - Carly Rae Jepsen. Yet âRunâ isnât just the typical bubblegum pop weâd expect from Jepsen; itâs a massive, exuberant track with a bold chorus that functions as a supersaturated one-way ticket to the 80s. Jet-setting, nostalgic, and impossibly ecstatic, the dance-pop summer anthem infectiously demands the love and attention that it wholesomely deserves. â serein39. Post Malone â âWhite IversonâThis track put Post Malone on the map by dominating autumn and now winter playlists. While modern in its sound, "White Iverson" is a work of nostalgiaâa throwback to a bygone era when every NBA star sported cornrows and fancied himself an MC. Post and producer 1st Down used this theme as the backbone for a smooth, sultry, yet plaintive ode to his own sauce. â $haz38. Vince Staples feat Snoh Aalegra â âJump Off The RoofâSummertime â06 is incorrigibly bleak; when paralleled with To Pimp a Butterfly, its inclusive, rallying, and uplifting thematic sister, it becomes an unnerving product of black desolation. There is little room for repose or solace in Vince Staplesâs vision, and no song highlights his jagged-edged, bareboned hardness better than âJump off the Roof,â a four minute master-showing of musicâs most visceral brand of introspective realism. Like Ice Cube, Vinceâs lyrical power comes from plainspoken sharpness: âI pray to God cause I need him, I need him, I need him,â Vince raps over impeccably howling production; we need no elaboration to feel its force. â XerXes37. Clarence Clarity â âThose Who Canât, CheatââThose Who Canât, Cheatâ, likely the catchiest tune off Clarence Clarityâs debut album No Now, may also be the most cryptic. Through R&B and pop influenced the melodies, Clarence tells the tale of a cheating lover while simultaneously explaining that our time on this earth is limited, relating to what might be the theme of the whole album: live life, as we never know what the future might hold. Watch this strange universe unfold on âThose Who Canât, Cheat." â Mattw11636. Towkio feat. Lido, Chance The Rapper & Eryn Allen Kane â âHeaven Only KnowsâFour young talents, accompanied by a hook interpolated from John Legend's "Heaven" combine to create a divine and heavenly track. "Heaven Only Knows" hosts an electric, multi-layered hook, and a strong opening verse from Towkio â as he declares SAVEMONEY âan army full of generalsâ. If this werenât enough, Chance The Rapper drops a feature verse delivered so rapidly with such a condense and varying rhyme scheme, Lido literally ups the tempo to match it. And thatâs why, for those reasons and more...I love it, I love it, love it, I love it, love it, I love itâ Skhills35. Jay Rock â âGumboâReal flavour is hard to come by these days but TDEâs Jay Rock delivered with standout single, "Gumbo". The strength of the song lies in the hidden references to his youth. The song title for example, refers to his grandmother's Gumbo; "The flavor, it tastes so good. It was an analogy with musicâ he told Genius. Similar to "Fly On The Wall," Rock shows a vulnerable side of life in the projects. Realizing how personal "Gumbo" is makes it even more fascinating. â Sem Groeneweg34. Wolf Alice â âYouâre A GermâSince bursting to prominence with âMoaning Lisa Smileâ in early 2014, Wolf Alice have been hailed as the instigators of a new wave of British grunge. Although theyâve distanced themselves from that label, âYouâre A Germâ is their most grunge song yet. Its quiet introduction presents biker Georgie, who uses his age to impress schoolgirls. Then the behemoth of a chorus, complete with a monstrous count-in, tears him down; heâs a âdodgy fuckerâ, doomed to become a washed up rocker and ultimately get dragged down to Hell. Itâs like Cobain at his best. â Vesuvius33. The Weeknd â âTell Your FriendsâOf all the songs on Beauty Behind The Madness, âTell Your Friendsâ is one of the few non-pop records. Kanye West & co samples Soul Dogâs 1976 song âCanât Stop Loving You..â to blend soul and rock effortlessly, as Abel opens up about self destruction, chasing fame, drugs, and of course, women. âThey told me not to fall in love, that shit is pointlessâ he croons, just moments before Mike Dean rips his best guitar solo since âDevil In A New Dress.â Want to impress your friends this holiday season? Tell them about this song. â Michael Heal32. Florence + The Machine â âDelilahâIn âDelilah,â Florence Welch takes the phone call that she never received from her lover, and elevates it into a modern biblical adaptation. The baroque-pop stomper anchors the anguish with a clap-accompanied drum, piano chords, and throaty brass that exhales as Welch proclaims âIâm calling for my mother, as I pull the pillars down.â When she finishes with the words âThese chains never leave me, I keep dragging them around,â her falsetto â and the bouncing cello â devastes. â Chihuahua031. Joanna Newsom â âSapokanikanâThe best candidate for this millenniumâs Bard, Joanna Newsom works best when sheâs able to transform complex poetic devices into a singalong, as evinced by âSapokanikanâ. She begins by referring to âOzymandiasâ and the futility of creating art. Ironic, considering she created some of the most lasting music of 2015. The stunning piano piece complete with drums is an epistemic journey where every listener comes away knowing something new. â Brian Duricy30. Justin Bieber â âWhat Do You Mean?âBieber Fever hit an all-time high prior to the release of âWhat Do You Mean?â thanks to a month packed with promotion from Justinâs high-profile friends. The unique rollout proved worthwhile, as the song became his first ever number one single. The now-ubiquitous Bieber crooning is complimented by one Mason Levy, who adds in a syncopated synth rhythm along with that catchy clock beat. Meanwhile, maturity is shown in the lyrics -- when would you ever think the âBabyâ singer would ever get real about arguing and makeup sex? Although the song highlights indecision, thereâs none on our end - âWhat Do You Mean?â is one of our favorite tracks of the year. â streetlights29. Skepta â âShutdownâGrime was first introduced to the American blogosphere in 2003, but the last 12 months have seen the genre make a serious overseas crossover thanks to cosigns from hip-hopâs reigning tastemakers, Kanye West and Drake. Sensing the moment, Skepta released one of the most zeitgeisty grime songs yet. While armed with a Drake sample and a media reaction to Kanyeâs âAll Dayâ Brit Awards performance, this song completely belongs to Skepta. The frantic beat suits his energetic style, spitting tough bars while speaking the same language as Man Booker Prize winner Marlon Jamesâ book A Brief History of Seven Killings, with both having no time for âyour -ism and schisms.â No, Skeptaâs only got time for making the most of his moment, something he does completely on âShutdown." â Brian Duricy28. Tame Impala â âLet It HappenâKevin Parker described this song as âtotally different from anything ever.â Are we sure thatâs hyperbole? From the auditory Rorschach test in the bridge, to the inexplicable record skips that would feel serendipitous if Parkerâs master-planner reputation didnât precede him, âLet It Happenâ sounds as much like the soundtrack to the apocalypse as it does the first notes of a glorious new wave. Synth-heavy and sensual, moody and meticulous, âLet It Happenâ was the perfect sonic and thematic intro to an album birthed by surrendering to desires. â Heisenferg27. Sufjan Stevens â âBlue Bucket of GoldâCarrie & Lowell finds Sufjan Stevens stripped bare, trading his usual experimental instrumentation for minimalism, focusing attention on the devastatingly personal delivery of his motherâs passing. The albumâs final track, âBlue Bucket of Gold,â begins much the same: plodding piano keys and the fuzzy warmth of Sufjanâs voice draws the listener in with its intimacy, belying the metaphor of loss and ghostly backing vocals that threaten to knock you out cold. Sufjan asks for answers, and pleas for the impossible, as the album seems to fizzle to a bleak conclusion, swallowed by its own grief. Just then, the ethereal drone crescendos out of nowhere, its oscillations washing over like a wave of catharsis, providing comfort where words have fallen short. In the face of death, hope springs eternal. â Brock Chenier26. Travi$ Scott feat. Justin Bieber & Young Thug â âMaria Iâm DrunkâWhile many made a lot of Antidote, which features all the typical hooks and beats that youâd expect from a banger, Rodeoâs true work of art is a very cool and calculated two-parter. Maria sets the tone perfectly, offering a slow but captivating atmosphere that allows Iâm Drunk to wash over you for a nightâs cruise. This song also features a surprisingly well incorporated Justin Bieber verse, showing his newfound prominence within the hip-hop industry through his newly developed range: âGirl I want you on the rocks, no chaser, Be sure to drink it all, won't waste ya.â â Zachary âthezachman1â Mahabir25. Drake â âBack to BackââBack to Backâ was the biggest hip-hop event of 2015. The first diss song to be nominated for a Grammy had timelines ablaze and has so far, garnered over 105 million Soundcloud plays. Everyone knew Drake was waiting for a chance to prove himself. Everyone except Meek Mill, who fired off a series of Tweets claiming Drake didnât write his own raps. âIs that a world tour or your girls tour?â Drake clapped back over the Noah â40â Shebib laced beat, as the punchlines kept rolling in: âYeah, trigger fingers turn to twitter fingers / Yeah, you gettin' bodied by a singin' nigga.â Meekâs career hung by a thread. The Drizzy Drake we knew was gone. The 6ix God was born. â Michael Heal24. Father John Misty â âThe Night Josh Tillman Came To Our ApartmentâIn the middle of a collection of beautiful unapologetic love songs, âThe Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apartmentâ stands out. Itâs an anti-love song, in which our weary narrator complains about his loverâs annoying habits. Some lyrics are biting, with sarcasm dripping off them, others are understated and subtle. The result is a song which complements, rather than contradicts, the central message of I Love You, Honeybear. Itâs Tillmanâs greatest songwriting achievement yet. â Vesuvius23. Kendrick Lamar â âAlrightâA rap song has never won âSong of the Yearâ at the Grammys, but Kendrick Lamarâs âAlrightâ might be the first. The song isnât just a catchy, Pharrell produced banger, itâs socially aware. Weâre angry: âWe hate po-po / Wanna kill us dead in the street fo shoâ - weâre tired: âI'm at the preacher's door / My knees gettin' weak, and my gun might blow - but we have hope: âBut we gon' be alright!â Black Lives Matter protesters evened chanted the hook during the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Million Man March in Washington D.C. Kendrick Lamar managed to capture the emotions of a nation, and evidently the world in three and a half minutes. No award can match that. â Michael Heal22. Beach House â âSpace SongâThough many tracks on Depression Cherry may seem to âblendâ, âSpace Songâ is a true standout. While Beach Houseâs classic use of drones pulls you into the song, itâs the magnificent riffs that keep you there. These riffs promote an ambivalent feeling. On one hand they represent sorrowful cries, capable of breaking down whatever wall you might place against it, but on the other, they represent a hypnotic happiness. Contemplate âwhat makes this fragile world go roundâ as Beach House transports you to a new one on âSpace Song." â Mattw11621. Snakehips feat. Chance The Rapper & Tinashe â âAll My FriendsâDrunk on a Friday night? Look no further than the infectious âAll My Friends.â The soaring chorus and hypnotic synths create a party anthem with a twist. Tinashe delivers a standout vocal performance complete with vulture metaphors, while Chance the Rapper spits a sweet sixteen entirely about the effects of Xanax. You canât escape the irony of one liners like: âThe nights we won't remember / Are the nights we won't rememberâ in a society where today's youth consider âturning upâ on their list of basic human rights. â Michael Heal20. Future â âMarch MadnessâLively and anthemic, this Tarentino-produced track was the highlight of Future's best project in a year he dominated, releasing 2 Billboard #1 albums in the span of 3 months. In addition to his usual drug references, Future takes the time to acknowledge a societal ill that has particular personal significance to him, as he laments "all these cops shooting niggas tragic". Celebratory yet conscientious, it is, as its title suggests, an encapsulation of America at its best. â $haz19. Drake â âHotline BlingâDrakeâs âHotline Blingâ has dominated the latter half of 2015 thanks to its simplistic but captivating beat and incredibly infectious hook. The song quickly became the most culturally impactful anthem of the year and earned Drake his highest charting single since 2009âs âBest I Ever Had.â The songâs popularity only grew with the release of its music video, which quickly became an internet sensation, inspiring a multitude of memes and sparking playful discussion around Aubreyâs questionable dance moves. Drizzy successfully delivers a fresh sound while still providing us with one of his his classic ex-lover narratives.. â shy-ink18. Lupe Fiasco feat. Ayesha Jaco â âPrisoner 1 & 2âItâs hard to believe that a story of mistreated prisoners, jealous guards, and an artistâs conflict with a record label could be told in 9 minutes. Lupe Fiasco, however, is not your average lyricist. On the string-driven side of âPrisoner 1â, Lupe details the tragedy of the ânew Jim Crowâ until the song breaks down to the sound of menacing grunts and pleas to be freed, leading towards âPrisoner 2â, where the guards abuse their privileges to feel powerful, only to realize theyâre trapped as well. In classic Lupe style, the metaphorical subplot runs deep. Click here for the Genius annotated page. Youâre welcome. â Mattw11617. Miguel â âWavesâWhile it wasnât the lead single on Wildheart, Miguelâs âWavesâ proved to be a fan favorite. The booming instrumentation shines bright alongside Miguelâs fiery delivery that seems to endlessly intensify, leading up to a passionate-frenzy of an outro. Compared to âCoffeeâ, this song shines bright when performed live, the rocking guitars amplify even further while the crowd emulates Miguelâs enormous energy. Always experimenting with ways to push the genre forward, Miguel masters the crossover between Rock and R&B to create an anthemic soundtrack to our summer. â shy-ink16. Jack Ă feat. Justin Bieber â âWhere Are Ă NowâWhile "Where Are Ă Now" is the brain-child of Skrillex & Diplo, the super-producer duo behind Jack Ă , it's Justin Bieber who steals the show with an outstanding comeback vocal performance. âWhere Are Ă Nowâ marks Bieberâs transition from cliched teen pop songs to sonically and lyrically interesting music. Fluttering synths, deep bass, and a flute riff that is actually Bieberâs voice anoint the song--the best traits of Skrillex and Diplo. As Bieber croons about an ex (guess who), we can only wonder: where has mature Justin been all our lives? â Babu Sea15. A$AP Rocky feat. Bones â âCanal St.ââCanal St.â featuring Bones is that vibe, and by no accident either. Imagine A$AP Rocky treading down Canal St. towards Mercer with his hood up and head down, watching the rain splash off his vintage leather boots smoking a blunt in the dead of night. The hustler's sermon is delivered over a stripped back, smoldering beat looping in and out of Bonesâ hook. As Rocky snarls âheard the people want that raw shit, but y'all be talkin' bullshitâ to end the second verse, we realize what we just heard was most definitely the former â Michael Heal14. Courtney Barnett â âPedestrian At BestâAt first listen, âPedestrian At Bestâ is organized chaos. Witty bars on fame and philosophy are thrown into crashing guitar riffs. The execution might seem awkward at first, but lyrics like âPut me on a pedestal / and Iâll only disappoint youâ and âI think youâre a joke / but I donât find you very funnyâ are some of the most poignant and hilarious lines of the year. Barnett doesnât need to worry about her fame falling through - songs like these will certainly keep her afloat. â Babu Sea13. Major Lazer feat. DJ Snake & MĂ â âLean On"âLean Onâ mashes EDM, reggae, and traditional Indian sounds into a dancefloor ballad about taking on loveâs difficulties. Danish darling MĂ brings plenty to the table as the vocalist, melting into the words âBut the nights are long, longing for you to come home.â Staccato synths and a chipmunked riff complete the presentation of one of the worldâs biggest Songs of the Summer. â Chihuahua012. Alessia Cara â âHereâ"Here" functions as the ultimate introvert-anthem. In a world where mainstream pop music largely celebrates and glorifies the party lifestyle, newcomer Alessia Cara sheds light on the other side of the spectrum. Antisocials of society can find comfort in the idea that a rising star feels the same way as they do. Melodic throughout, âHereâ is perfect for radio, but also has the storytelling chops of a deeper cut, drawing the listener in and allowing thought-provoking lyrical content to take centre stage. âHereâ is for those who want to kick it to music with a message. â Ali Yetim11. Natalie Prass â âMy Baby Donât Understand MeââI donât feel muchâ. These words from Natalie Prass introduce the heartbreaking âMy Baby Donât Understand Meâ. A few quiet piano chords are initially accompanied only by brief woodwind notes. As the songâs story of heartbreak progresses, it crescendos, not once, but twice, with more and more instruments coming in. âOur love is a long goodbye/we keep waiting for the train to cryâ, Prass sings, as the song reaches a glorious, tear-jerking peak. More, and soon, please. â Vesuvius10. Grimes â âKill V. MaimâA song written from the point of view of a âvampire, space-travelling Al Pacino from The Godfather Part 2 who can change gender,â "Kill V. Maim" is as eccentric of a piece as its perspective suggests. Boucherâs delivery and production are in a constant state of flux, yet melt and cohere into a glorious final product. Itâs hyperactive; she moves from articulated statements into accented growls, and from taunting cheerleader chants to genderbent rebellion. The songâs a prime example of forward-thinking pop, breaking down expectations with every turn and interstellar sound effect. Fun, unexpected, and a total wild card - itâs undeniably Grimes. â Tyler Yan (LanaDelReyquaza)9. Jamie xx feat. Romy Madley Croft â âLoud PlacesâOn âLoud Places,â Jamie xx recruits former bandmate Romy to essentially create a new xx song, something fans have patiently awaited since 2012. âLoud Placesâ is a song of antithesis: searching for peace in the most rowdy of places, expressing love with no reciprocation, elevating past the clouds yet plummeting so low. Sampling Idris Muhammadâs âCould Heaven Ever Be Like This,â Jamie seamlessly blends old and new, creating music that truly transcends. â Mattw1168. Kendrick Lamar â âThe Blacker the BerryââIâm the biggest hypocrite of 2015!â Kendrick Lamar screams on âThe Blacker The Berryâ as he rages over a raw Boi-1da instrumental. The song is the purest hip-hop track on To Pimp A Butterfly - a refreshing break on an album filled with chaotic jazz and G-funk production. On a song thatâs accusatory, yet self-reflecting; provocative, yet self-containing, Kendrick accurately points out how the problems addressed on the record are not just black and white. He tries to engage with every side of the discussion by emphasizing black on black violence is just as common as any other form of violence. Hypocrite? Yes, but Kendrick makes hypocrisy seem like a natural response - maybe even an inevitable one. â Steven FrĂślke7. Beach House â âLevitationâA pound of feathers, or a pound of lead â which is heavier? Beach House has consistently found themselves on the former end of the common riddle, layering airy synths and organs behind Victoria Legrandâs buoyant voice to create music that seemingly hovers over the listener. But donât mistake lightweight for superficial; a pound of feathers is still a pound, after all, and music this light on its toes is far from punchless in its qualitative or emotional weight. âLevitationâ bubbles with hope in the face of the unknown. Even as they duly note the looming dread of uncertainty with metaphors of aging, they donât leave you hanging; uplifting organs and Alex Scallyâs momentous guitar riffs burst through the fear with a warm incandescence that could soundtrack a sunrise, as Legrand promises to take you away from all the darkness, inviting you to elope into her soothing arms. â Brock Chenier6. D'Angelo â âReally LoveâDâAngeloâs âReally Loveâ has existed since 2007, and on the Black Messiah version of the track, he fittingly makes us wait more than two minutes before his voice is heard. The Latin funk guitar plucks serve as a transition from a whispered Spanish loverâs query, foreshadowing the intimate softness of DâAngeloâs singing. Lyrically, the song aspires to a higher order of love, that of âreallyâ love. On an album concerned with vital, heavy topics like police brutality, DâAngelo showcases his capacity for romance nearly two decades after releasing his classic debut LP Brown Sugar. Itâs (really) refreshing. â Brian Duricy5. The Weeknd â âThe HillsâHorror-influenced in theme and sound, âThe Hillsâ was an unlikely breakout hit, a throwback to Abelâs mixtape period â in stark contrast to the Max Martin-penned MJ impression "Can't Feel My Face." It initially surfaced during a SXSW performance, immediately stirring up anticipation for The Weekndâs 2015 domination. The track builds to the brutally honest hook and crescendos into a punishing low end. Additional eerie vibes and atmospheric feel combine for one of the most addictive songs of the year. Half past five will never be the same again. â $haz4. Kanye West feat. Paul McCartney â âOnly OneââNo youâre not perfect but youâre not your mistakesâ are words to live by. And if anyone knows, itâs Kanye Omari West. On Yeâs most personal song since 2008âs 808âs & Heartbreak, he draws parallels to The Beatlesâ âLet It Beâ - a song written by Sir Paul McCartney after waking from a dream about his late mother. Some 45 years later, McCartney joins West as he sings a strikingly beautiful, incredibly stark Auto-Tuned ballad to his daughter North. Kanye claimed he couldnât remember the song when the lines were played to him, and concluded it was a message from his late mother, Donda West. Considering Ye delivered âOnly Oneâ on the first day of the year, hereâs hoping he starts 2016 in the same fashion. â Michael Heal3. Sufjan Stevens â âFourth Of JulyâClosing the first side of Carrie and Lowell, âFourth of Julyâ sees Sufjan Stevens summoned to his estranged motherâs deathbed. Over quiet piano chords, Carrie pleads with her âlittle Versaillesâ for his forgiveness, and tries to console him by reminding him of the inevitability of death. Sufjan covers a tremendous amount of emotional ground over the minimalist production, searching desperately for what he âcould have said to raise you from the deadâ. Itâs incredibly honest, and easily one of the most affecting songs of the year. â Vesuvius2. Kendrick Lamar â âuâThis visceral cut from album of the year To Pimp a Butterfly is an intense, disturbing listen. Rather than the the self-loving âiâ, âuâ serves as the self-loathing antithesis. Kendrick gives unrestricted access to his tormented soul as he raps about his sixteen year old sister falling pregnant and FaceTiming his childhood friend Chad Keaton in hospital while he was away on tour. This comes in an intense fit of drunken rage weâre not used to seeing from Lamar, but it ultimately makes for a more impactful song. From the haunting screams, gripping internal struggle and manic state, Kendrick tackles depression head on. Loving "u" is complicated. â Michael Heal1. Jamie xx feat. Popcaan & Young Thug â âI Know Thereâs Gonna Be (Good Times)âA 2014 NC State study found that âgoodâ and âtimeâ are two of the most frequently used words in hit songs, and âI Know Thereâs Gonna Be (Good Times)â abides by those statistics without ever falling into triteness. The cut from Jamie xxâs solo debut features a fusion of steel drums, infectious dancehall vocals and a soulful sample derived from The Persuasions song of the same name. Perhaps the most key element, however, is the warbled euphoria of Young Thug, who contributes not only in the form of absurdly creative lyrics, but as an instrument, melodically intertwining with Jamieâs lush production. These disparate pieces blend to perfection to form a masterpiece worthy of itâs own EP. Wherever and whenever this songâs playing, we know thereâs gonna be good times. â streetlightsCheck out the Genius Community's 20 Best Albums of 2015 here.