The Best Pop Music of 2016

A look at the best pop songs of 2016. From Justin Bieber to Adele, these are the songs that dominated the charts this year.

Introduction

The 2016 was a year full of great pop music. From established superstars like Justin Bieber and Rihanna to newer artists like The Chainsmokers and Zayn, there was something for everyone. Here are our picks for the best pop songs of the year.

Best Pop Albums of 2016

It’s been a great year for pop music, with a wide variety of artists releasing some great albums. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best pop albums of 2016. We’ll be looking at a mix of both mainstream and indie albums, so there should be something for everyone.

Adele- 25

Adele’s “25” was one of the best-selling albums of 2016 and is one of only three albums to ever sell more than 3 million copies in a week. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and remained in the top spot for seven consecutive weeks. “25” includes the singles “Hello,” “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” and “Water Under the Bridge.”

Beyonce- Lemonade

Beyonce’s Lemonade was one of the best pop albums of 2016. The album was a critical and commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and spawning the hit singles “Formation” and “Sorry”. Lemonade was widely acclaimed by music critics, who praised Beyonce’s songwriting and vocals, and awarded the album five stars.

Justin Bieber- Purpose

Released on November 13, 2015, Purpose is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It serves as a follow-up to his third studio album Believe (2012), and was produced by Skrillex and Diplo. The album was well-received by fans and critics, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 and becoming Bieber’s sixth chart-topper in the country. It also debuted at number one in several other countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark.

The album’s user score on Metacritic is an 8.3/10 based on 4 reviews—indicating “universal acclaim”. AllMusic’s Fred Thomas gave Purpose a positive review, praising its polished production as well as Bieber’s maturation as an artist. However, Thomas also noted that some of the album’s ballads veered into “schmaltzy territory”. In a more mixed review, Evan Sawdey of PopMatters found Purpose to be an improvement over Believe but felt that Bieber still had room to grow as an artist. Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding of Songfacts praised the album for its production value and themes of love and growth.

Drake- Views

Drake’s fourth studio album, VIEWS, was released in April 2016 to critical and commercial success. The double album- one disc consisting of hip-hop tracks, the other of more pop-leaning R&B cuts- was a logical extension of the sound Drake had been refining since his debut LP, Thank Me Later. But VIEWS also revealed a new – and more complicated – Drake, one struggling to come to terms with newfound fame and fortune.

Thematically, much of VIEWS is preoccupied with the trappings of Drake’s newfound stardom: the isolation that comes with constantly being on the road (“One Dance”), the pressures of maintaining relationships while being constantly in the public eye (“Hotline Bling”), and the feeling of being trapped by your own success (“Child’s Play”). But there are also moments of introspection, like on “Weston Road Flows,” where Drake reflects on growing up in Toronto’s Scarborough neighborhood.

Musically, VIEWS is just as varied as its subject matter, with production credits going to some of Drake’s frequent collaborators (Boi-1da, 40) as well as to relative newcomers like Matthew “MPierre” Samuels and DVLP. The result is an album that feels both polished and deeply personal, with each track offering a different take on Drake’s signature sound. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just getting into Drake’s music, there’s something on VIEWS for everyone.

Ariana Grande- Dangerous Woman

Ariana Grande’s third studio album, Dangerous Woman, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200—the highest debut of her career—and narrowly missed the top spot, selling 175,000 equivalent units (146,000 in pure album sales). The set was propelled by the No. 2 single “Dangerous Woman,” as well as “Be Alright” and “Into You,” which peaked at Nos. 12 and 23, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.

Best Pop Songs of 2016

2016 was a great year for pop music. We saw a lot of new artists emerge and some old favorites make a comeback. There were a lot of great pop songs released this year, but these are the 10 best.

“Hello” – Adele

Hello is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele, released on 23 October 2015 by XL Recordings as the lead single from her third studio album, 25. Adele co-wrote the song with her producer, Greg Kurstin. “Hello” is a piano ballad with soul influences, and lyrics that discuss themes of nostalgia and regret. Upon release, the song was well received by music critics, who compared it favourably to Adele’s previous work and praised the song’s lyrical content. It was recorded in London’s AIR Studios. In September 2015, Adele performed “Hello” at the Radio City Music Hall as part of the BBC Music Showcase event promoting 25.

“Hello” peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Adele’s sixth UK chart topper and her first since “Someone Like You” in 2011; in the US, it debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 and became Adele’s fourth US number-one single and her first since “Rolling in the Deep” in 2010. A music video for the song was released on 22 October 2015; directed by Xavier Dolan, it features close-ups of Adele singing against a dark background. In doing so, she broke Justin Bieber’s record for most views within 24 hours of release; Hello received 27.7 million views during that timeframe.

“Formation” – Beyonce

“Formation” is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016). The song was released on February 6, 2016 as the lead single from the album by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The song was written by Rae Sremmurd, Mike Will Made It, Amir “Cash XO” Esmailian, and Beyoncé herself. “Formation” is a trap song with elements of industrial music and Southern rap. Its title refers to the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, while its lyrics discuss black pride. The song’s music video was shot in New Orleans following the announcement of Lemonade. It features cameos from Big Freedia, DJ Khaled, and actor Michael B. Jordan; it also features footage of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Upon its release, “Formation” debuted at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart; it eventually peaked at number 10, becoming Beyoncé’s first solo top 10 single as a lead artist since “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” in 2008 and her highest-charting single since 2013’s “Drunk in Love”. The song also peaked at number one on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number two on the Digital Songs component chart. Internationally, it reached number one in Australia and New Zealand while peaking within the top 10 in multiple countries including Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

“Sorry” – Justin Bieber

On October 23, 2015, Bieber released the lead single from his fourth studio album, Purpose. “Sorry” is a dance-pop and electronic dance song produced by Skrillex and Blood. Critics were impressed with the production but criticized its lyrical content. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Canadian Hot 100. The song became Bieber’s sixth consecutive top ten hit in both countries.

“One Dance” – Drake

“One Dance” is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake for his fourth studio album, Views (2016). The song featuring Wizkid and Kyla was released as the lead single from the album on April 5, 2016. “One Dance” became Drake’s first number-one single as a lead artist on the US Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at number one in several other countries including Australia, Canada, France, Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

“Dangerous Woman” – Ariana Grande

“Dangerous Woman” is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande, serving as the lead single for her third studio album of the same name. It was released on March 11, 2016 through Republic Records. The song was written by Grande, Savan Kotecha and its producers Max Martin and Ilya. “Dangerous Woman” is a midtempo synth-pop and R&B ballad with a trap-inspired beat. Lyrically, the song talks about women who are “dangerous” because of their independence and self-belief.

Upon its release, “Dangerous Woman” received positive reviews from music critics, who noted its similarity to Grande’s previous material as well as its production. The song debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, becoming Grande’s third consecutive single to debut in that position. It also debuted within the top ten in Australia, Canada and France, and peaked within the top five in New Zealand and Sweden.

Conclusion

It’s been an eclectic and sometimes controversial year in pop music, but there have been plenty of great songs to help us get through it. In no particular order, here are our 50 favorite pop songs of 2016.

“Formation” by Beyoncé
“Work” by Rihanna ft. Drake
“One Dance” by Drake ft. Wizkid & Kyla
“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake
“This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna
“Cheap Thrills” by Sia ft. Sean Paul
” Dangerous Woman ” by Ariana Grande
“Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” by Adele