Wrap up 2016: Five albums that had us shook in 2016

With all the social, political, and economic drama grabbing our headlines this year, one thing remained our saving grace – music.

Through the tragedy of Trump or the death of Harambe, we could pop in our earphones and jam to the sweet tunes of 2016 any time, blocking out the negativity surrounding us.

Here are the five albums that had us completely shook in 2016.

When you Google up “lemonade”, the first thing on the results page is no longer an image of a refreshing citrus beverage. It is all about Beyoncé.

On Apr 23, Queen B blessed us with her work and granted us the wonder that is Lemonade, causing her fans, also known as the BeyHive, to go into a frenzy.

Possibly her most exciting and experimental work yet, Lemonade caused shockwaves around the world.

The R&B album delves deep into Beyoncé’s personal life, exploring the cracks in her marriage with New York rapper, Jay-Z. It touches on infidelity, anger, forgiveness, rebirth, and injustice.

It also called out #beckywiththegoodhair, giving us some drama to feed off on.

Also, if local comedic duo and youtube sensation MunahHirzi made an 11-minute parody of it, it has to be good!

Singapore’s very own beloved punk rock band Plainsunset released their fifth and last album, Both Boxer & Benjamin on Nov 12.

To the sorrow of many loyal fans, the 20-year-old rock band recently announced that the album will signify their last hurrah, with their final show taking place at the Esplanade on Dec 3.

With Both Boxer & Benjamin, the four-piece band truly created a masterpiece.

Catchy and memorable choruses, distinct melodies, and deeper messages were stitched together to create a beautiful musical tapestry, which is fitting for the local music veterans.

Other than the band’s signature sound, you can also expect twists and complexities that could have only been pulled off by seasoned musicians.

We bid farewell to the local band with a quote from their popular song, ‘Johari Window’: “You’ve been a part of me and I know that I will miss you when you go.”

In his third full-length studio album, the American singer gave fans his all: his charisma, infectious tunes, and sweet dance moves.

If anyone else was singing the tracks in this album, it could seem cocky or obnoxious. However, with Mars’ sprinkle of humour and overall likability, the album becomes a complete killer, slaying us with every beat.

It is ferociously funky, and we have to say we are definitely #blessed.

Okay, this may be an EP, but we think it deserves to be on this list!

A combination of indie rock, electronic pop, funk and a touch of the old school 80s, Singapore’s very own synth-pop selection, Disco Hue, surprised us with their debut EP, Arcade, in May this year.

After four gruelling years of waiting after his debut album Channel Orange, Frank Ocean finally answered our prayers.

On Aug 20, Frank released his new album, Blond, which turned out to be a musical marvel.

The tracks on Blond take us on a trip, often leaving the listener dizzy but completely enamored. It takes on psychedelic pop and R&B, without the complexities, with minimalistic beats.

We have been thinkin’ bout Frank, and Frank has been thinkin’ bout us, and we are loving the new, mature and experimental Ocean!