How long have you been with Live in Limbo and what do you do for the site?
I started contributing to Live in Limbo earlier this year as a writer, which means I go to your current/future favourite singers’ shows and/or listen to their albums and review them. Towards the end of this year, I started interviewing those artists for the Capsule Podcast and the LiL YouTube channel.
Writer’s Note: I think this survey is a little bit cruel because I struggled to narrow down my favourites of 2015, so note that these are just a handful of my selections from this year.
What were your three favourite albums of 2015?
1. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
There are few albums that carved out cultural and political significance the same way Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly did this past year; its done so in such an entrenched way that people will forever associate the album with the current state of racial, classist and political tension in American culture. Its just as personally poignant because it so honestly and brutally captures the conflicted journey in realizing and actualizing self-identity; its an album that’s just as much Kendrick as it is for the individual as it is for the community. Wrapped in funk, introspection, cheek-in-tongue wit, spoken word, furious rhymes and recordings of rap past, To Pimp A Butterfly is not only the album that we wanted from Kendrick; it’s also the one we desperately needed.
2. Jaime xx – In Colour
Jaime xx is one of those artist-producer-cool creative-type of individual that everyone is well aware of, respects and considers to be uniquely talented, but many did not understand the depth of his talent until his solo debut dropped. A mix of hollowed, whispy electronica, moody lounge music and hip-hop/reggae-inspired tempos are the building blocks to the multidimensional In Colour, a sonically blurred out genre-bender binge that even in the quietest moments is punched by a subtle rhythmic urgency telling everyone to perk up, because Jamie xx’s world is too beautiful of a collision to miss.
3. Kelela – Hallucinogen
Hallucinogen, much like its predecessor Cut 4 Me is uncompromising R&B at its best. Kelela’s ghostly sweet vocals reverberate across six tracks that delve deep into textured production. It bubbles up to a hypnotic wave that occasionally dives into a deep and twisted subgenre without sounding like a bandwagoner, mainly because of Kelela’s smooth and sleek delivery that is so criminally cool without even trying.
What was the most underrated album of 2015?
Carly Rae Jepsen – E•MO•TION
E•MO•TION is critically celebrated, but for all of its perfectly pop twists, 80s revival and like-love-hate juggling, it didn’t feel like it gained as much commercial traction as it should have this year, especially given the amount of praise awarded to artists like Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber (who executive produced this album!) for their comebacks and metamorphosis. Carly moved past the “Call Me Maybe” days with something spunky and infectious, and found a sonic balance between old school synths and modern structures to create a real, true and brilliant pop album that is more deserving in recognition and in the popularity circle.
What were your three favourite songs of 2015?
1. Alessia Cara – “Here”
There’s something about seeing a young artist swiftly dismiss expectations of what constitutes being “cool”, particular to an age where there are a lot of pressures. It’s the type of confidence and honesty I wish I possessed, or saw artists that I liked posses when I was a teenager. Alessia runs through the anti-party (but ironically party) anthem “Here” with a triumphant bounce and swag that all wallflowers and introverts can not only aspire for, but also throw their cups of water to in dorm rooms and high school gyms because for those three and a half minutes, your voice is heard, and it is celebrated, too.
2. Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
This song, along with the rest of To Pimp A Butterfly, belongs to the people. What separates it from its album brethren is the deeply embedded assurance and hope found in the lyrics. Aside from the powerful visuals that came along with the song, the fact that Kendrick’s rhymes made their way outside concert halls and festival fields into the chants and cries of protestors speaks volumes of the power of the rhyme.
3. Kanye West feat. Sia and Vic Mensa – “Wolves”
The eerie creep of Cashmere Cat’s production paired with an odd combination of vocoder, raspy and angelic-like vocals culminates in an unsettling calm feeling that found me revisiting “Wolves” days and months after Kanye West debuted the song live on Saturday Night Live. It’s an annoyingly quick listen, but one that I could not resist putting on repeat for the better part of the year. Let’s hope that Kanye’s next album is just as unnerving and infectious as this possible sample.
How many concerts and/or festivals did you go to in 2015?
I honestly could not give an accurate number of how many concerts (because I worked on a festival with daily concerts for three weeks), but I can tell you that I went to four festivals this year.
What were your three favourite concerts of the year?
- The Weeknd @ Air Canada Centre, November 3rd
I didn’t go into The Weeknd’s show with high expectations, mainly because I had doubts about how well he could handle a stadium show based on the slow progression in his on-stage persona I witnessed in the earlier years of his career. The Weeknd I saw on the opening night of The Madness tour was nothing short of entertaining; he was in fact a pop king in the making, and boldly embraced it. Plus, he briefly performed “D.D.”, a song that I never thought I’d get to see live. - J.Cole and Big Sean (OVO Fest) @ Molson Amphitheatre, August 2nd
J.Cole is another artist that I have been following for several years, and it is extremely gratifying to see him headline at such a significant festival in Toronto. Forest Hills Drive is a fantastic album in itself and it played out beautifully to a crowd that was eventually on the receiving end of a serious downpour causing the show to end early. The best part was that audience members flooded the aisles and bounced with strangers to all of Jermaine’s hits even with the hard-hitting rain and wind. Big Sean supporting was just the icing on that wet cake. - Café Tacvba @ PANAMANIA Live @ Nathan Phillips Square , July 22nd
One of the best things about Toronto is the multiculturalism. Café Tacvba, a band from Mexico, was a headliner during the PANAMANIA festival this past summer. Their spectacular energy and performance brought out hundreds of fans into Nathan Phillips Square. It was so moving to see international music celebrated in the city the way it was that night as people sung along, danced and screamed for an encore.
What was your favourite festival of the year?
PANAMANIA at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games because I never thought in a million years I would see as many artists on my bucketlist as I did for free on many beautiful summer nights.
Who was your favourite festival headliner?
It’s a tie between The Roots and Janelle Monae at PANAMANIA. The Roots were on my bucketlist, but Janelle Monae was a dream to see live.
Which artist or band won 2015?
As a whole, Kendrick Lamar outshined every artist by putting out a generation-defining album with unforgettable visuals and performances in 2015. This was his year, right from the quick turnover time between announcement and release to his recent eleven Grammy nominations.
What/who was the biggest musical disappointment for you?
Frank Ocean. I had high hopes that his follow-up to Channel Orange would make its debut, but sadly, it seems we’ll have to wait to see if 2016 brings us some new Cali-inspired soul and R&B from this Odd Future affiliate.
In your opinion, what was the biggest music story?
Taylor Swift’s squad, because every other day seemed to show a new rotating member and I couldn’t go one day without finding out which one of those members appeared on her 1989 tour catwalk. Can we still call it a squad if there’s like 10,000 pledges?
But really speaking, Adele’s return to music was just such a monumental way to close 2015. From the initial tease to the carefully controlled publicity to all the records smashed worldwide, Adele won over the public once again, and is poised to continue her reign well into 2016.
What was your favourite new musical discovery of 2015?
Raury. I technically discovered him back in 2014 when I heard him on SBTRKT’s debut, but I loved seeing his genre-bending ways play out on his debut record, All We Need.
Who should we be looking out for in 2016?
Jack Garratt. He’s currently on the long list for the BBC Sound of 2016 poll, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t make the shortlist. I think Alessia Cara’s album is going to continue to gain momentum in the New Year. Chance the Rapper has reigned supreme in the indie world for so long, but I think 2016, especially after his fantastic performance on SNL, is going to bring him to new heights.
Who do you hope goes on tour next year?
I would have said Adele, but she just announced a North American tour in late 2016, including four dates in Toronto. So instead, I’ll just sit here and pray that A Tribe Called Quest goes on an anniversary reunion tour so I can kick it.
Who’s going to be headlining (or at least playing) all the 2016 festivals?
If Kanye West does indeed finish up his next album, I could see him taking over the festival circuit in 2016. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Coldplay found their way to Coachella and other festivals given that their latest album may be their last. It’d be a way to go out with a big, electronica-pop bang. Possibly Sia, because it’s her time to shine.
Is there anything else you want to say about 2015 or predict about 2016?
I’m actually really satisfied with how 2015 turned out to be musically. There were so many fantastic projects and comebacks, a lot of innovative risks on the production side and two Drake releases, so call me a woe but it’s been fun. Maybe 2016 will have three Drake releases.
