The Best Moments in Music of 2015

Image via Complex Original

We all loved watching Nicki and Meek’s relationship blossom to where it is today, and the couple isn’t keeping their love a secret anymore. Since Meek appeared on The Pinkprint, Nicki returned the favor on Dreams Worth More Than Money. They released an adorable music video together for “All Eyes On You” and teased their love for one another all over social media this year. During major performances including Meek's set at Made in America, Nicki made sure to let the world know that her “husband” is everything to her. Their relationship seems to be getting more serious as they recently hinted at a possible engagement, but Meek’s going to have to get Nicki some pretty big rings for that to happen. We need more Omeeka in 2016.

Future's streak began with the free 2014 mixtape Monster and kept going with Beast Mode and 56 Nights, all of which demonstrated that he still has the streets on lock, so there was no need to chase pop territory like he did on Honest. Instead, Future utilized a strategy he knew best by flooding the Internet with more music. It worked because he was able to send two albums—Dirty Sprite 2 and What a Time to Be Alive with Drake—to No. 1 on the charts and got everyone waiting on the edge of their seats for what he would do next. If Future really means that music is a competition with himself, then next year’s already a victory lap.

In the beginning of the year, Drake surprised fans with his mixtape/album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, a project that was read as an attempt to escape from his Cash Money Records contract, according to speculators. With no single or promotion, the LP became an instant success that went platinum, broke a Spotify record for the most streams for an album, and catapulted him to the Best Rapper Alive conversation this year alongside Kendrick Lamar and others. Throughout last winter, you couldn’t escape any of the songs, and the undying support from fans contributed to the entire album landing on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at one point. Looking at Drake as the prime example, surprise releases seem to be going strong.

Kanye West rarely tweets, but we make sure to pay attention when he’s does. “I’m finishing my album and my next collection,” he said. “I’m asking everyone DON’T ASK ME FOR ANYTHING TILL AFTER I FINISH WITH MY ALBUM.” You can’t blame him. He’s had a busy year. Two clothing lines, a new Yeezy Boost debut, and the birth of his son, Saint West, are all legit reasons to put off SWISH (f.k.a. So Help Me God). It feels like Yeezus was released so long ago, but ‘Ye’s been teasing his new direction with music, which can be found on his collaboration with Paul McCartney (“Only One”), his banger “All Day,” plays of “Wolves” (Vic Mensa, Sia), and “Fade” (Ty Dolla $ign and Post Malone). He’s also worked on songs with Rihanna, Travi$ Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, Big Sean, Tyler, the Creator, and more. Just be patient: Yeezy season is approaching.

Hip-hop’s relationship with To Pimp a Butterfly is a complicated one. Never has the genre seen an album inspire so many critical pieces and meaningful public discourse covering everything from being overrated to influential. K. Dot’s third studio album became a standout music moment of the year, often described as “unapologetically black,” and shows how his worldview provided fodder for a deeper discussion of the black experience in 2015. The album, which was arguably a musical masterpiece jammed with live instrumentation, spoke to a lot of people who needed a voice like Kendrick’s to help heal and uplift. In particular, the Black Lives Matter movement this year chose “Alright” as their song about hope. With its one-year anniversary approaching in March, To Pimp a Butterfly’s success is evidence that K. Dot is important to change in America.

Music streaming is already a crowded field, but who's really winning the streaming wars? In March, Tidal re-launched under the ownership of Jay Z and various artists who promised to place value on music. Tidal has built their brand on marketing exclusive content, which we saw through concert streams, new songs premieres, and Tidal X-hosted concerts. This year also saw the debut and rise of Apple Music, with their features like Beats 1 Radio, curated playlists from respected tastemakers, and seamless on-demand music becoming a main attraction for consumers. Spotify is arguably holding the crown as the leading music streaming service for now, but don’t be surprised if either Tidal or Apple Music takes that throne in 2016.

Not many artists can take a 10-year-long hiatus from releasing an album and return with a futuristic single that sounds like they never left in the first place. Missy Elliott’s “WTF (Where They From)” is her strongest effort yet after a string of songs from 2008 underperformed critically and on the charts. In her absence, other female rappers have taken center stage (Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, Azealia Banks), but there’s no better feeling than hearing Missy over a frantic Pharrell beat. Even her Janet Jackson collaboration “BURNITUP” couldn’t top this. The video is all vintage Missy, making her diehard fans wish all of this would have come sooner. The wait is almost over because she’s promising a new album soon. Don’t we all love a comeback story?

Fetty Wap has come a long way from cooking pies with his trap queen. The Paterson, N.J., native has turned into a legitimate star and is currently nominated for two Grammys (Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance) for “Trap Queen.” Aside from major appearances at the MTV Movie Awards with Fall Out Boy and the BET Hip Hop Awards, Fetty owned the summer with hits like “My Way,” “679,” “Again,” and “RGF Island,” to name a few. Plus, he rocked the stage with Taylor Swift on her 1989 World Tour in Seattle, too. Despite an injury caused by a serious motorcycle accident a few months ago, Fetty seems in good spirits and ready for another takeover next year.

Chance the Rapper capped off a string of wins with a legendary performance on SNL. If you missed it, the 22-year-old rapper was the first independent artist to perform on the show, and he didn’t disappoint. He debuted “Somewhere in Paradise” with Jeremih and a new rendition of “Sunday Candy.” Just like what he and the Social Experiment did with Surf and “Angels,” he released his new single for free on iTunes.

To judge Chance’s reach, consider the numbers of downloads that Surf currently has on iTunes—618,000 full-album downloads and over 10.1 million single track downloads. Some critics have called Chance the savior of Chicago because he’s a young creative with a positive message. He’s continuing to live up to the name, recently announcing Warmest Winter to help the city’s homeless. So far, he’s on the right path.

During the filming of Straight Outta Compton, Dr. Dre got so inspired that he started working on an album. Nearly a decade after the initial announcement of Detox in 2002, Dre scrapped that album entirely to start fresh. So, the N.W.A member went to work on Compton, which he dubbed as the soundtrack to Straight Outta Compton. Yes, it’s his final album ever, but don’t be discouraged. Dre brought out the whole team (Eminem, the Game, Xzibit, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg) and spotlighted some new talent like King Mez, Justus, Anderson .Paak, Candice Pillay, and Jon Connor. 16 years is a long time for Dre loyalists to wait for new music, but thankfully he summed up his legacy pretty well with a brilliant album.

Rae Sremmurd, the duo consisting of Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy, were at the center of a controversy on whether or not they actually write their own rhymes this month. Ebro, who had some issues on SremmLife placing at No. 3 on our list for the Best Albums of 2015, claimed they needed help writing some of their smash hits. Ebro, Mike Will Made-It, and Rae Sremmurd all got into it on Twitter, but there is no fight over one thing: SremmLife is very good. Their debut project is a cohesive listen, filled with radio-ready singles like “No Flex Zone,” “Throw Sum Mo,” “No Type,” and more. If you were at any festivals or managed to catch one of their shows, you can see why these guys connect with the youth so much. Their endless amount of energy is infectious, and you’re more than likely going to rage with them. Can SremmLife 2 drop already?

When an artist like Taylor Swift goes on a world tour, you can predict some big things will happen. But no one could have predicted the number of special guests she'd trot out during the tour, with a mystery guest (artists, actors, athletes, models--you name it) joining her at nearly every show. Lucky fans who attended saw the likes of Beck, the Weeknd, Fetty Wap, Lorde, Selena Gomez, Nick Jonas, and Avril Lavigne, as well as a special performance with Idina Menzel for “Let It Go.” It’s just further proof that Swift cares so much about her fans and will go to any length to make them happy.

Kanye West is a force in music and fashion, but this year he expressed an interest in throwing his name into the political arena. After his epic speech at this year’s VMAs, ‘Ye made a bold statement by saying he plans to run for president in 2020. So far, he seems pretty dead serious about his run. Kim Kardashian endorsed her husband’s plans as well. “He’s serious. And I know that if he puts his mind to something, he’ll do his best,” she told Ellen. If you’re still doubtful, Yeezy promises free Yeezys if he’s elected, so that should sweeten the incentive to vote for him. He already has a few supporters—Ice Cube, Vince Staples—in his corner. President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton even gave him tips on how to run the nation. Yeezy 2020 is really about to go down.

Janet Jackson’s last album, Discipline, was released in 2008. Seven years later, the music legend gifted her fans with her 11th studio album, Unbreakable. She reconnected with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, whom she worked with on her breakout album, Control, and proved that she is still a force in pop music. Jackson still surprises us with her talents, delivering songs that cover everything from social commentary to love in her angelic voice. While the content is more mature, Unbreakable still feels new and inspired.

DJ Khaled is a character. It seems like any time you put a camera on him, the Miami-based superproducer and rap entrepreneur’s personality shines through. Aside from a few videos that have gone viral thanks to his catchphrases, Khaled’s gained a loyal audience on his Snapchat, where he blesses us with the keys of more success. Or gives us play-by-plays of being stranded at sea on his jetski and finding his way back home. Not only is this Oscar-worthy material to witness Khaled’s daily routine, but he’s really dropping some gems on the Snap. His ability to suffer from success on social media is amazing. Listen to the lion’s order.

Justin Bieber is trying to put all his controversies behind him, and in our October/November cover story, he promised to present an open and relaxed version of himself to the world. At only 21 years old, Bieber has made his mistakes, but now the focus is on Purpose, which is arguably the best piece of work he’s made in his career. A more mature Bieber is found on songs like “Sorry,” “What Do You Mean?,” and “Company,” and if Purpose's sales numbers are any indication, it looks like people are embracing his new image. Keep it up, Biebs.

Adele posted a written letter on Twitter explaining her extended absence from the spotlight, and in it, she stated that her new album “is about getting to know who I’ve become without realizing. And I’m sorry it took so long, but you know, life happened.” Afterwards, the British singer-songwriter shared “Hello,” a single that’s been No. 1 for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. A few weeks later, 25 was released and sold 3.38 million copies in its first week. The second week, she moved 1.11 million copies, and in the third week she pushed 728,000 copies. At this rate, 25 will surpass the five million sales mark and possibly reign throughout the rest of 2015 and maybe a few months into 2016. Adele is really out here, and we’re here for it. But where’s that “Hotline Bling” remix though?

What better way to pay tribute to Paul Walker than through Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again,” an emotional song that touched tons of Fast & Furious fans. Earlier this year, Furious 7 incorporated major scenes with Walker to honor his contributions as the lead character, Brian O’Conner, and the video for “See You Again” did something similar through a video montage of his best scenes. Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s video became the first hip-hop video to reach over one billion views, and on the charts, it tied with the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Bow” (2009) as the longest running No. 1 rap single on the Billboard Hot 100. You also can’t forget when “See You Again” broke two Spotify records for most listens in one day and most listens in one week, respectively. All in all, it’s been a good year for Wiz.

The feud of the summer was Drake vs. Meek Mill. If you’ve been far removed from the rap game this year, here’s a summary:

• Meek calls out Drake for not promoting his album Dreams Worth More Than Money and claims he doesn’t write his own raps.


• A guy named Quentin Miller (Drake's alleged ghostwriter) gets brought into the fold. Later, reference tracks off If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late surface online after Funkmaster Flex leaks them.


• Drake’s producer Noah "40" Shebib chimes in to defend his friend, as does Lupe Fiasco to weigh in on the implications of ghostwriting.


• During The Pinkprint Tour, Meek Mill continues to diss Drake any way he can. Drake responds with “Charged Up” and “Back to Back.” Meek retaliates with “Wanna Know” and gets absolutely ethered on Twitter.


• For whatever reason, Norm Kelly, the city councilman of Toronto, jumps into the beef and fires shot at Meek on Twitter.


• Drake opens OVO Fest by performing in front of Meek memes for the whole crowd to see. More shots between Drizzy and Meek are traded, a wedgie threat here and a “he’s dead already” there.


• Drake and Future’s What a Time to Be Alive drops and contains more subliminals directed at Meek.


• Rick Ross finally responds to Drake on “Color Money” with the line “My lil homie made a million on his girl tour.”


• Drake’s “Back to Back” gets nominated for a Grammy.

Meek Mill has a chance to redeem himself with Dreamchasers 4, but there are no guarantees. Still, it’s a unanimous opinion for anyone watching this beef: Meek took an L.

Out of everything that happened during the Drake versus Meek Mill feud, the exclusive songs Drake premiered on OVO Sound Radio truly took on a life of their own. These all could have passed for legit album cuts. In July, when “Charged Up” dropped, listeners also got “Hotline Bling” (which was dubbed as a remix of D.R.A.M.'s “Cha Cha” at the time). As months went on, “Hotline Bling” caught fire with an abundance of remixes from artists like Sam Smith, Justin Bieber, and Erykah Badu. Then, the “Hotline Bling” video produced some of the funniest Drake memes and mash-ups (Bernie Sanders, anyone?) we’ve ever seen. It’s even made its way to the mainstream through a terrible Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton cover and a dramatic reading of its lyrics. When it comes to hits, the 6 God can’t be beat.

Drake’s “Hotline Bling” is so good that it inspired Erykah Badu to remix it, which then inspired her to build a whole mixtape around the concept. But You Caint Use My Phone is embedded with phone culture and reworks of “Hotline Bling,” as she adds bits and pieces of other phone-themed songs—Usher’s “U Don’t Have to Call,” New Edition’s “Mr. Telephone Man,” the Isley Brother’s “Hello,” and her own song “Tyrone"—into her own sketches. There’s also a great collaboration with her ex and old collaborator André 3000. This tape may not a groundbreaking masterpiece or tread in magnum opus territory like Baduizm, but the free-flowing listen works for Badu. For soul and R&B enthusiasts, this tape is a must-have.

At the height of Drake and Future’s What a Time to Be Alive hype, staff writer Angel Diaz wrote a piece titled “All You 'Real' Rap Fans Need to Stop Hating on What a Time To Be Alive.” Shortly after the article was published, heated tweets were sent from Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco, who were offended by a passage about how there's a time and a place to listen to conscious hip-hop. “I’m dead tired of you cats, man. You make my head hurt. Can’t be listening to Talib Kweli rap off beat and Lupe Fiasco deep cuts at BBQs,” Diaz wrote. The two parties defended their stances on social media, and all of Rap Twitter watched as a larger discussion came to light, again, about lyrical content of so-called turn-up music vs. dense rhymes with substance. This will not be the last time we’ll hear this debate.

Tyga and Kylie Jenner’s relationship is finally out in the open—even with their major age difference. But lately, Tyga isn’t necessarily stacking up Ws after word got out that the two broke up on his 26th birthday. Rumors say Tyga is bad for Kylie’s brand, so she’s distancing herself to focus on her career and herself. Meanwhile, this latest bump in his career isn’t his first. This year, T-Raww dropped a few projects—Fan of a Fan: The Album with Chris Brown, The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty (with incredibly low album sales), Fuk Wat They Talkin’ About—that were all underwhelming, except for one or two solid songs. Maybe this separation from Kylie is a good thing for him. Now, he can plan to make a proper comeback instead of disappearing forever.

50 Cent and Rick Ross really don’t like each other. One of hip-hop’s longest feuds added a new chapter when Ross clowned 50 on “Wing Stop (Remix)” about his financial troubles, referencing news that he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Renzel continued to taunt 50 (“Get rich or die tryin’ and now you bankrupt”) during several interviews, and 50 clapped back with a series of Instagram posts flaunting his riches. The two would take their beef to social media, involving 50 Cent’s son (Ross says he applied for an internship at MMG) and Meek Mill (50 coined a new MMG emoji) in the crossfire. Just recently, 50 took shot at Rick Ross’ low album sales for Black Market, which reportedly only sold around 34,000 copies. “Is that a rock or a brick?” 50 said. The ongoing feud continues.

Zayn Malik made an announcement in March that shocked all One Direction fans: He was leaving the group. “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band,” Malik wrote on Facebook. Since then, he's stayed silent about leaving the group, but opened up in his cover story with Fader. “I guess I just wanted to go home from the beginning," he said. "I was always thinking it. I just didn’t know when I was going to do it…. I just need to be me now, because I’ve had enough.” One Direction has pushed forward without Malik, releasing Made in the A.M. in November and selling over 459,000 units and landing No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart behind Justin Bieber. However, after all that success, One Direction are now on hiatus. Just like Malik, they all needed some time to work on individual projects and be themselves. Don’t worry though: They’re not splitting up for good just yet.