Some of it was bad, some of it was treading in sea of mediocrity, but there was also an exceptional bounty of great, original albums. Over the course of the year, I listened to well over 300 albums from all over the world. It’s proof that there is still incredible music being exported from seemingly every region of Africa. My own explorations took me through a journey of afro funk, electro, mali music and high life which was further complemented by new releases from Owiny Sigoma Band, Nozinja, Tal National, Terakraft, Mbongwana Star and Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba. And while established artists had an incredible year, there were also tremendous debuts from artists such as Natalie Prass, Petite Noir, The Great Void, and Marika Hackman. From the triumphant return of Sleater-Kinney to Bjork’s most emotionally impactful album to the masterful compositions and lyricism of Joanna Newsom, women proved to many of the best and most unique music voices of the year.Īlong with the return of Sleater-Kinney came long awaited albums from the likes of Blur, Faith No More, and Modest Mouse. While Adele’s sales numbers were the big story for mainstream media, the female impact on modern music was far more profound than one mega pop star. Meanwhile women commanded more attention and respect than ever. An artist from Poland recorded an indefinable sound crossing influences such as Albert Ayler and Pharaoh Sanders with black metal. From the Congo came a record that sounded like an alien form of afrobeat. Instead we received a tremendous album from a hip hop star that was simultaneously informed by funk and jazz. 2015 wasn’t about a great rap, pop or rock album. The internet has connected us to a vast expanse of music history that spans across oceans and time, extending the riches of influences that artists are tapping into. As music steps further and further into the 21st century, the hard lines which once defined specific genres have grown more and more blurred.
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