Here are the 10 tracks we counted down on this week's installment of the Pitchfork Top 10, which can be heard each week in January on Beats 1. Last week we counted down the Top 10 tracks of 2015. Tune in this weekend to hear episode 3.
10. Mick Jenkins: "Grenade Theory"
In 2014, Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins released a brilliant mixtape called The Water(s), hailed as a breakout in underground rap circles. Now, following his more experimental 2015 collection, Wave[s], he's returned with a refreshingly direct track from a new project tentatively titled Sip! Chicago producers ThemPeople provide a chilly, open-ended backdrop for Jenkins’ emotive lyrics, which here center on the Black Lives Matter movement.
9. Brandy: "Beggin & Pleadin"
R&B star Brandy isn't always acknowledged as a progressive voice within the genre, but in a career now spanning two decades, she has consistently pushed herself outside her comfort zone. From her debut single "I Wanna Be Down," to 2002's striking, Rodney Jerkins-produced "What About Us," to this latest entry, Brandy has continually demonstrated a willingness to push beyond her audience's expectations. Here, she moves forward by looking back, with a track that combines a bluesy, vintage Otis Redding-style hook with modern-day trap beats.
8. RJD2: "Peace of What"
Sampling master RJD2—real name: Ramble Jon Krohn—is best known for his track "A Beautiful Mine," which doubled as the "Mad Men" theme song. But before that, he made his name on his inventive 2002 debut, Deadringer, an underground classic among fans of instrumental hip-hop. This week, he released the first track from his forthcoming Dame Fortune LP, inspired by the sounds of classic Philly soul.
7. Porches: "Be Apart"
Porches is the project of eclectic New York City songwriter Aaron Maine. Taken from upcoming album Pool, due out next month on Domino, "Be Apart" features hauntingly sweet vocals from Maine's frequent collaborator and girlfriend, Greta Kline, who records her own music as Frankie Cosmos.
6. The Weeknd: "Low Life"
The Weeknd may have gone pop with last year's world-beating hit single, "Can't Feel My Face," but he's remained as commited as ever to exploring the dark side of after-hours partying. On "Low Life," he teams up with fellow self-destruction specialist Future for a track that finds them both on their worst behavior. Toying with nihilism while getting utterly smashed has rarely sounded so appealing.
5. Savages: "Adore"
When it comes to UK post-punk band Savages, every nervy bass strum, dramatic lyric, and careening beat feels rife with meaning. Featured on their forthcoming second album Adore Life, "Adore" is a quiet song that surges with emotive power, as frontwoman Jehnny Beth repeats the question—"do you adore life?"—with such force that it just might make you put your phone down.
4. Anderson .Paak: "Come Down"
L.A.'s Anderson .Paak got the biggest look of his new career in 2015 when he featured prominently on Dr. Dre's comeback album Compton. Prior to that, he went by the name Breezy Lovejoy, a pseudonym someone may thankfully have talked him out of. But even if he's ditched the alias, breezy remains the best way to describe the sound of his new album, Malibu, which earned Pitchfork's Best New Music distinction this week. Featuring contributions from Talib Kweli, ScHoolboy Q, Madlib, 9th Wonder, and more, the record is a masterclass in full-grown R&B for fans of Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, and D'Angelo.
3. dvsn: "Hallucinations"
"Hallucinations" is the fourth song to be released so far from Toronto-based up-and-comer Division. Although the powers that be are so far withholding the singer's identity, he's known to be working with producer Nineteen85, the genius behind Drake's hits "Hold On, We're Going Home", "0 to 100," and "Hotline Bling." His latest track might be the most heartbreaking R&B ballad since Usher's "Climax." It's at least a worthy successor.
2. Kanye West: "Real Friends"
The best way to engage with Kanye West is never to expect. For the first three years of this decade, he was among the most prolific artists of his stature, releasing track after track of progressive, influential, status-quo-challenging hip-hop. Then, following his diabolical Yeezus album in the summer of 2013, he fell suddenly silent. Though he remained in the spotlight with fashion projects, occasional Kardashian appearances, and the birth of his first child, North, he wouldn't release another song until the dawn of 2015—the longest absence of his career to date. When he did return, it was with a series of surprising left turns—a piano ballad with Paul McCartney, a country song with Rihanna, the flamethrower-assisted banger "All Day," and finally, a Drake-emulating Nike diss track called "FACTS" which just about everyone agreed was among his worst ever.
But this week, we saw fresh signs of the Kanye we've always admired: The one who surprises us when we least expect it. Out of the blue came "Real Friends," a song with the contemplation of The College Dropout, the sobriety of 808s & Heartbreak, and the minimalism of Yeezus. Exploring the ways that fame strains relationships with friends and family, the song finds Kanye pulling back on the egotism that makes him such a divisive figure, and leveling with the people that matter most to him. It also comes with a short clip teasing another song, "No More Parties in L.A.," that features Kendrick Lamar and production by Madlib. With the rapper finally ready to unleash his next album, Swish, in February, it's a good time to remember: He's capable of almost anything.
1. David Bowie: "Dollar Days"
On Monday morning, the world woke up to the shocking news of the death of one of music's most beloved icons. Throughout his long career, David Bowie set an unattainable bar of virtuosic artistry for every musician to follow—and then continually raised the stakes. With an unparalleled drive to challenge and reinvent himself, Bowie was the rare individual who truly was everything to everyone. A left-field shapeshifter who gave anyone who ever felt like an outsider the courage to be themselves, Bowie was the patron saint of freaks and weirdos everywhere, with a preternatural gift for making the absurd accessible. He had been there as long as we all could remember, and the world as we knew it is forever changed by his absence.
He left this planet two days after his 69th birthday—a day which saw the release of his final, brilliant album, Blackstar. That Bowie pushed himself to give us—his fans—every last ounce of creative energy he had inside him, is the final testament to his strength, and his genius. On this track from Blackstar, Bowie reflects on his time on Earth and looks toward the afterlife, acknowledging the inevitable while resisting its pull until the very end.