Join teenAGE Observer in looking back at some of the best, worst, or most interesting things to happen this year from football to music to fashion and everything in between. Read below our top 5 albums released this year.

In no particular order, here’s our list: 

Lover -Taylor SwiftWhich ever side of the camp you chose in the great KimYe vs Tay Tay battle of 2016, or however you feel about the pop star’s beef with famed manager Scooter Braun, 

Lover stood out from the pack in this year’s musical releases. Less than four months old, 

Lover, from its release

 spawned mega hits fit for first dances at weddings and for dance parties of one. True to form, Taylor Swift has remained candid, confessional and sassy over synth pop beats taking listeners through a myriad of emotions in eighteen tracks.  

Jesus is King – Kanye WestSay what you want about Kanye but he remains a great producer, rapper and controversy-stirrer. With less than half hour running time and very little promotion Kanye West managed to have you and your church friends talking.  

Happiness Begins – Jonas BrothersIn an unexpected comeback Kevin, Nick and Joe from our Disney days returned to the stage together at last – and with new music! A pleasant surprise, 

Happiness Begins lived up to even the highest expectations, wowing devoted fans and music critics alike. 

No 6 Collaborations Project – Ed SheeranFifteen collabs with fifteen different artistes was ambitious, but if anyone could make this mishmash of sound work it would have to be our favourite ginger-haired Brit, Ed Sheeran. 

Beautiful People, 

South of the Border, 

Cross Me, and 

I Don’t Care are still on regular rotation for us. 

Rapture EP – KoffeeJustin and Ed certainly cared enough to have this fast rising star feature on their already super popular track! Could this list be complete without 

Rapture? Nope. 

Rapture, after all,

 birthed the international hit 

Toast and introduced the world to Koffee. 

(Honourable mention)Thank U Next – Ariana GrandeSpecial mention goes to Ariana Grande’s 

Thank U Next. Recorded in the fall last year and released in February of this year, it almost feels like the album with one of the most iconic music videos released this year came out a lifetime ago. But it was only earlier this year that we were all jamming to songs like 

7 Rings and 

Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored.