The rapid ascension of homegrown megastars pushed Canadian music to new heights last year. Drake, The Weeknd, and Justin Bieber have all dominated global radio play, and the rise of pop sensations, Alessia Cara and Shawn Mendes, have kept our national scene buzzing. Now a year later, Canadian talent continues to drive the cultural narrative, and shows no signs of slowing down. Following up 2015 seemed like a daunting task, but our artists have spoiled us with a wide array of excellent releases.
The charts may have belonged to OVOXO, but some of the year's best releases came from fresh faces and indie darlings. From the cimmerian You Want It Darker, to the Polaris Prize-winning 99.9%, here are the best Canadian albums of 2016.