BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, MY FAVORITE SONGS OF 2016

{ Chance The Rapper was one of the best things about 2016. }

Well let me just get this out of the way first: Much like the rest of 2016, the musical offerings this year were kind of disappointing. I looked back at all the insanely good music that came out in 2015—and compared to the deep stack of albums like those from Years & Years, Ryn Weaver, Oh Wonder, Adele and even Carly Rae Jepsen—this year didn't quite stack up.

Of course there were gems, don't get me wrong. Chance the Rapper and Bon Iver both put out albums so thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish that I sometimes find myself playing them on repeat throughout a whole day. We also got Views from our boy Drake as well as the wonderful Farewell, Starlite! from Francis and the Lights.

A lot of my favorite songs of 2016 are ones that stand apart from the albums to which they're attached. "Somebody Else" by The 1975 is audible candy, but the rest of that album got a big "meh" from me. Same goes for "WALLS," off of the latest one from The Kings of Leon.

Perhaps as a reaction to all the dark political energy, terror and tragedy of this year, it felt like 2016 was a huge pop music year, didn't it? The whole thing sort of felt like a "song of summer" race to me. I don't know if you guys have taken the time to check out your most-played songs on Spotify, but mine are like, really embarrassing and completely overrun with manufactured pop. My number one? "Greedy" by Ariana Grande. Sigh. Twenty-sixteen, you were a weird one.

And so, this list of my favorite songs of 2016 is not the songs I listened to the most—this list is (hopefully) much more interesting, varied and quality-based. Go ahead and press play, you'll find a mix that includes everyone from Post Malone to Father John Misty, The XX and Foxes.

Enjoy, and let's hope for an amazingly music-filled 2017!