Liner notes: 2016 is one of the greatest years in the history of pop music! Apex artists of this century (Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Solange, Kendrick, Kanye, and Radiohead) released major albums that became classics almost instantly, with another group on that level from a different era (A Tribe Called Quest) putting out a shockingly great comeback record. Titans bid farewell (Leonard Cohen, Charles Bradley, and David Bowie) with albums that, with their deaths, transmogrified into something almost mythical. Breakthrough releases from newer folks (Mitski, Big Thief, Anderson .Paak, and Angel Olsen) were icing on the proverbial cake. I could go on and on. The album of the year for 2016 is Frank Ocean’s Blonde, but it’s a near thing.
Mixtape Monday Marginalia: I forgot to say “you’re welcome” in last week’s post for manifesting an André 3000 solo album with Mixtape Monday #96. Nevermind that it’s ninety minutes of Laraaji-style ambient flute… Speaking of new albums, next week’s mixtape will be the best of 2023! If there’s great music from this year you want to share, please feel free. I’m doing my last minute push to get through everything I want to listen to. Spoiler alert: the André 3000 flute record is making the cut.