As 2017 comes to an end, let us reflect on a great year of music. From a singer-songwriter classic by Ed Sheeran to a joint mixtape by Future and Young Thug, the world was blessed with tons of music this year.
Pop
At the beginning of 2017 Ed Sheeran released his two lead singles, “Castle On The Hill” and “Shape of You” from his album Divide. This was a bold return from Sheeran after an almost three year hiatus from music. “Castle On The Hill” is a good song that fans liked, but it was nothing compared to “Shape of You.” This hit single has been played everywhere over the past year and it took home Apple Music’s best song of 2017 award.
Taylor Swift also returned with a bang after a hiatus from music and public appearances. Her fifth studio album, Reputation, is a completely different sound for her, but it is still a setrong return for her. The lead single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” was a somewhat weird and disappointing song for Swift to return with, but it still had immense popularity. Seeing as there are much better songs on the album, it is more than likely another song from the album may take off and dominate the charts.
The ex-member of the group Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello, released her fourth single, “Havana,” since leaving the group and it has stuck on the the charts. It currently sits at third on the Billboard charts and it does not look like it is going anywhere for awhile.
Hip Hop
Future, the popular rapper from Atlanta, has had a fantastic year. He started off with releasing a self-titled project, FUTURE, early in the year and the song “Mask Off” blew up and went straight to the charts; it is arguably the best song of 2017. Exactly one week after the release of FUTURE, he released another full project titled HHDRXX. It was not nearly as popular as the self-titled project, but it was still a strong addition to his resume. In mid-October he made another surprising release: a joint project with Young Thug called Super Slimey. This project has been very popular and is still high on the streaming charts of Apple Music.
This year also brought many solid hit singles from multiple different artists. Post Malone’s “Congratulations”, DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” and “DNA,” and Lil Uzi Vert’s “XO Tour Llif3” are five of the best hit songs this year. They were hard to move off the charts, as many are still heavily streamed.
Country
There were many great country songs this year as a number of artists released new albums. Luke Bryan put out a new album that is bound to be a fan favorite. Chris Stapleton made a return with From A Room: Volume 2, which sits at number two on the Billboard 200. Thomas Rhett released a great new album with hit song “Unforgettable.” Tim Mcgraw and Faith Hill came out with a new album that included hit song “The Rest of Our Life,” which is arguably the best country song of the year. Sam Hunt released his single “Body Like a Backroad,” and it took the world by storm. The song was played non-stop on the radio, and he started a whole new tour because of the crazy popularity of the new song.
2017 has been a great year for music and one that will be remembered for many albums and songs. From amazing pop albums to awesome joint hip hop mixtapes, this year had something for everyone and certainly will not be forgotten.
