3B — Thursday, January 5, 2017
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

“Formation” is an unabashed 

salute to the power of woman-
hood — more importantly, to 
the fortitude of Black, south-
ern 
womanhood. 
Partnered 

with the striking images in the 
music video of various Black 
women over time, the track 
transcends the confines of pop 
music and becomes an instance 
of protest. Bey is refusing to 
be limited by her race, place 
of birth or gender, and rallies 
against such boundaries with 
lyrics flaunting her wealth 
alongside her heritage.

“Formation” wraps social 

issues — police brutality, the 
disenfranchisement of women, 
regional and racial stereo-

types — in an alluring pop 
packaging. Lines like “I got 
hot sauce in my bag, swag” 
seem meaningless on the sur-
face, but, when preceded with 
“Earned all this money, but 
they never take the country 
out me,” become seeped in cul-
tural significance. This kind 
of nuanced wordplay, along 
with its undeniably infectious 
musicality, makes “Formation” 
one of 2016’s most important 
tracks. No wonder Beyoncé is 
called the Queen.

— CARLY SNIDER

2. “Formation”

BEYONCÉ

Best Singles of 2016

“Orange is the New Black” 

dropped arguably its best season 
this year, yet again managing to 
transition between gut-busting 
comedy and heartbreaking drama 
with ease. Subtly challenging the 
series’ own empathy-for-everyone 
creed, the fourth season gave us an 
honest depiction of prison privati-
zation and showed the potentially 
fatal consequences that can result 
from power structures built on 
racism, sexism and brutal dehu-
manization. Sexual assault, unjust 
solitary confinement, even murder 

— these are the threats the women 
of Litchfield Penitentiary face. 
While a controversial late-season 
death left audiences divided, the 
final episode paid tribute to the 
beloved character with an elegiac 
flashback sequence depicting a 
magical trip through Manhat-
tan. The season ended with a PR 
nightmare, a prison revolt and the 
most joyful, yet simultaneously 
most devastating final shot of TV 
in 2016.

— BEN ROSENSTOCK

3. “Orange is the New Black” 

I’ve never quite seen a show pull 

off the feat that “The Americans” 
has. The show made the jump from 
good to great between its first and 
second seasons, became one of the 
top shows on television in its third 
and somehow got even better in 
its fourth. The series follows an 
undercover Soviet spy couple living 
in America during the ’80s. With 
two kids and a travel agency, the 
live a seemingly normal life. This 
year’s episodes of “The Americans” 
pushed Philip and Elizabeth more 
than it ever has before. It contin-
ued to show how the rough nature 
of their lives affects those around 
them, including their daughter, 
Paige, who continues to be drawn 
into their secrets. Philip has to deal 
with Martha, an FBI secretary 
whom he “married” (under another 
name and hairstyle), as her role as an 

asset to the KGB becomes increas-
ingly dangerous. Really, though, the 
series is about Philip and Elizabeth. 
Matthew Rhys (“Brothers & Sis-
ters”) and Keri Russell (“Felicity”) 
continue to do amazing work por-
traying the couple, bringing their 
struggles with their roles as par-
ents, their relationship with their 
country and the difficulty of their 
work to life. Not only are the per-
formances and story strong, but the 
series also continues to be a master 
of the tension-and-release storytell-
ing method. It’s both deeply emo-
tional and nail-bitingly tense. The 
show has two more seasons left on 
its run, and if they’re anything like 
this year’s episodes, they’ll be must-
see television.

— ALEX INTNER

5. “The Americans”

“Game of Thrones” continu-

ously draws viewers further down 
the rabbit hole, and there was no 
exception in the explosive sixth 
season. The series took this past 
season as an opportunity to probe 
deeper into the politics of power 
and the devastating consequences 
of control. From start to finish, the 
sixth season pulls from these pil-
lars in a refreshing manner. And 
though the majority of the season 
focused on the silent power strug-
gle between King Tommen (Dean-
Charles Chapman, “Before I Go to 
Sleep”) and Cersei Lannister (Lena 
Headey, “The Purge”) in Westeros 
and the war between House Stark 
and Bolton in the North, “Game 
of Thrones” built an intricate web 

that hooked viewers with superb 
feats in acting and cinematography.

One of the greatest strengths 

of “Game of Thrones,” especially 
showcased in the sixth season, lays 
in its cast. With a compelling cast 
taking the reigns, it was nice to see 
“Game of Thrones” taking advan-
tage of their broad range of talents. 
For confirmation of the show’s 
genius in storytelling, one can look 
no further than the season finale, 
“The Winds of Winter.” nd many 
more this past year, that “Game of 
Thrones” succeeds in pushing the 
boundaries of television. Winter is 
finally here, and the cold has never 
been so promising.

— MEGAN MITCHELL

6. “Game of Thrones”

Before the pro-Trump rants 

and the Kim K drama and the 
hospitalization, there was a 
beam. It captivated and guid-
ed, but above anything else, 
the beam enveloped. On The 
Life of Pablo, an album with so 
much punch, it says something, 
a lot, to kick it all off with this 
sensitive admission of wrong-
doing. Well, it’s also somewhat 
of a plea for redemption. Or it’s 
both, and a lot more. It’s gor-
geous.

The organ! It stays ground-

ed in its sanctity. The choir!

Kanye has forced himself 

into a conversation of divinity 
in a manner only he could pull 
off. He wanted us to buy into 
this preaching, that he is a god, 
and we kind of did buy it. But 

now he’s the one most in need 
of a ride on the beam, simul-
taneously enticing others to 
revel in its benefits while not 
actually rapping.

The real rap belongs to 

Chance the Rapper, who deliv-
ers that verse — the one that 
miraculously and successfully 
conflates humble beginnings, 
earnest success, and pomp-
ousness. Bolstered by The-
Dream and prayers from Kelly 
Price and Kirk Franklin, the 
total product is a message that 
reverberates even for the most 
unholy. Desperate, devout, and 
fulfilling all at once, it’s com-
plete Kan-tharsis at its finest.

— JOEY SCHUMAN

1. “Ultralight Beam”

Kendrick Lamar

No song off Frank Ocean’s 

Blonde better epitomized the 
album’s surreal mass appeal 
than “Nikes.” It’s a slow, medi-
tative track that barely has 
a beat and features vocals 
pitched 
up 
beyond 
human 

range, but it managed to lead 
off one of the most talked-
about and beloved albums of 
the year.

“Nikes” contains all aspects 

of what makes Ocean so com-
pelling. 
It’s 
got 
the 
hazy 

cross-faded 
imagery, 
the 

detached-at-the-party 
vibe 

that has been part of Ocean’s 
arsenal since his early hit 
“Novacane,” but it also takes 
the time to pay respect to Pimp 
C, A$AP Yams and Trayvon 
Martin, as Ocean’s own mor-

tality looms over all the song’s 
thoughts and actions.

But he balances out “Nikes” 

with his underrated sense of 
humor. “You got a roommate 
he’ll hear what we do / It’s only 
awkward if you’re fucking him 
too,” is the now-famous clos-
ing line, but don’t sleep on the 
early couplet: “Said she need 
a ring like Carmelo / Must be 
on that white like Othello.” As 
sparse as it sounds at first lis-
ten, “Nikes” reveals something 
new each time you return to it, 
and it’s another tremendous 
accomplishment for one of our 
most multi-dimensional, enig-
matic modern pop stars.

— LAUREN THEISEN

3. “Nikes”
Frank Ocean

5. “Pick Up the Phone” 
Young Thug ft. Travis Scott

There was much fanfare in 

the last year about the “tropical 
vibe.” It seethed less successful-
ly on some abrasive EDM tracks, 
brought Justin Bieber back to 
the radio (because, why not?) 
and soared on some of the year’s 
biggest songs.

Sometimes, though, trends 

work. “pick up the phone,” a col-
laboration between the distinc-
tive Young Thug and the notably 
less distinctive Travis Scott, is 
by far one of the best examples.

The 
production 
doesn’t 

scream “Look, we’re on an 
island!” but its influence is clear. 
It’s the Goldilocks principle at 

obvious play: not too much, not 
too little, but just right. Young 
Thug might occasionally sound 
the blabber of a baby, but it’s 
still perfect. Travis Scott yelps 
in background, but it’s still, you 
know, masterful. Everything 
just falls into place.

Also, it just happens to bang. 

Like, really, really bang. It 
warrants every replay, every 
screamed “I know you’re home 
baby!” I don’t care how many 
times you heard it in the base-
ment of that frat — “pick up the 
phone” is still one of the best 
songs of the year.

— MATT GALLATIN

This year, the ’80’s were “in” 

(Adidas Superstars, anyone?) and 
“Stranger Things” capitalized on 
the decade’s sci-fi nostalgia in all 
the right ways. From the fantastic 
synth-alt music score to the emo-
tional return of ’90’s it-girl Winona 
Ryder (“Girl, Interrupted”), the 
Netflix original is hands-down 
this summer’s breakout hit. Heav-
ily influenced by 80’s films and 
novels — with references to “E.T.,” 
“Poltergeist” and “Carrie,” to 
name a few — “Stranger Things” 
follows the mysterious disappear-
ance of 12-year-old Will Byers in 
eight addictive episodes gener-
ously strewn with homages to 
cult favorites. But even those who 
weren’t around in the ’80’s (which 
I wasn’t) or are largely unfamiliar 
with the classics of the sci-fi/hor-

ror genre (which I’m not) still find 
“Stranger Things” spell-binding, 
wonderful and universally touch-
ing. The series, with its Spielberg-
esque small-town Indiana setting 
and 
impressive 
performances 

from adult and child actors alike, 
is able to play on a complex and 
varied range of emotional planes, 
seamlessly 
tapping 
into 
raw 

parental protection and boundless 
childhood imagination in the same 
episode. I found myself sporting 
a ridiculous smile on hour four 
of my “Stranger Things” binge 
because sweet nostalgia hit as I 
remembered when I, too, ate Eggo 
waffles and rode bikes into fantas-
tical adventures after school.

 — DANIELLE YACOBSEN

2. “Stranger Things”

It’s not, I don’t think, hyper-

bole to say that “Atlanta” redefined 
what’s possible on television. A 
scarcely present plot, a two-epi-
sode stretch (out of 10) without its 
star appearing on screen, an all-
Black cast — before Donald Glov-
er’s FX marvel, if these attributes 
were not entirely unheard of, they 
were quite definitely not the norm. 
Now, truly, anything’s a go.

In its richly nuanced, quietly 

cinematic debut season, “Atlanta” 
was a lot of things: one week a 
whip-smart entry into the canon 
of music television (give all the 
awards to whoever chose “Eleva-
tors (Me & You)” to close out the 
finale), the next a gorgeous ode to 
Black female friendship, the next 
an outlandish satire of cultural 
appropriation (is that even the 

right phrase to characterize that 
indescribably perfect half-hour of 
TV, “Juneteenth”?). Yet, through 
it all, its themes were never heavy-
handed, nor were its politics didac-
tic. And while “Atlanta” ’s essential 
draw was in legitimate surprise, 
everyday hustle this series, unlike 
many, actually cared to depict: 
people just trying to make some 
money. That reductive logline 
might not be the most grabby, and 
there are no chase scenes or explo-
sions to be found here, but “Atlan-
ta” is the most thrilling, exciting 
show in recent memory. What few 
boundaries the TV industry has 
left have been defiantly obliter-
ated, the doors definitively kicked 
down; I can’t wait to see what’s 
coming next.

— NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT

1. “Atlanta”
Best TV Shows of 2016

4. Veep

In its fifth season, “Veep” 

changed hands from creator 
Armando Iannucci to David 
Mandel, who followed in the 
former 
showrunner’s 
foot-

steps with the same acerbic 
humor. Though Mandel did 
not shy away from toying with 
the show’s characters with 
arduous plots and unexpected 
setbacks, the show’s biting 
tone and sardonic portrayal of 
American politics continues 
to shine in its relentless, dark 
absurdity. “Veep” also con-
tinues to be anchored by Julia 
Louis-Dreyfus’ 
(“Seinfeld”) 

deft portrayal of the scathing, 
unlikable Selina Meyer, who 
we nonetheless root for. Man-
del’s adeptness at evoking pity 

for a comically horrible char-
acter explores who Selena is at 
heart, making this season one 
of “Veep” ’s most compelling. 
In finding Selena at her worst, 
the series is unexpectedly pro-
pelled forward using its great-
est strengths.

Like 
Selena’s 
maladroit 

political team, Mandel bravely 
forges ahead in a new direc-
tion with an unexpected end 
to the season’s arc. In doing 
so, Mandel explores who Sele-
na and the show is at heart, 
aided by the constant stream 
of bureaucratic screw-ups at 
the hands of one of TV’s fun-
niest ensembles.

— SHIR AVINADAV

4. “Cranes in the Sky” 

Solange

When I first heard this 

song, I thought Solange was 
singing about birds. I thought 
the cranes in her sky were big, 
long-necked, migratory birds. 
I thought it was about move-
ment and escape. It wasn’t 
until I did a quick Genius lyric 
search for this blurb that I 
came across all this talk about 
construction.

Supported by Raphael Saa-

diq’s serene orchestral bass, 
“Cranes in the Sky” floats. 
Stripped of meaning and inten-
tion, it’s light and dreamy. Sol-
ange’s vocals are soft and the 
lyrics are simple, but there’s 
something 
else 
that 
lurks 

beneath its surface.

“I tried to drink it away / I 

tried to put one in the air / I 
tried to dance it away / I tried 
to change it with my hair,” the 
song begins.

What is this “it” that Sol-

ange wants so desperately to 
escape? The song itself doesn’t 
give an answer — there’s never 
an antecedent. But for me, and 
I’m sure many others, “it” is 

the communal loneliness of 
womanhood, and more spe-
cifically Black womanhood. 
It is the force that constantly 
pull women away from each 
other — an idea that is made 
strikingly 
tangible 
in 
the 

track’s accompanying video, 
where shots of Solange alone 
in the desert are interspersed 
with her lying down, her limbs 
interwoven with those of other 
women. With this track, Sol-
ange beautifully captures the 
absurdity of loneliness in a 
hyperconnected world, as well 
as its inevitability. 

In that way, “Cranes in the 

Sky” is a song of opposites. The 
best hint towards what the “it” 
might be comes in the chorus, 
where Solange sings “Well it’s 
like cranes in the sky / Some-
times I don’t want to feel those 
metal clouds.” Her loneliness 
looms over her like a crane, 
an image steeped in both hope 
and fear no matter which type 
of crane you think it is.

I still think it’s about birds.

— MADELEINE GAUDIB

7. The People V. O.J. 

Football 
player-turned-crim-

inal O.J. Simpson regained some 
spotlight this year, but not in 
the way you’d expect. Preceding 
Ezra Edelman’s incredible five-
part documentary “O.J.: Made 
in America” was Ryan Murphy’s 
just-as-phenomenal “The People 
v. O.J. Simpson,” the first season 
of his “American Crime Story” 
anthology series on FX. While the 
former gave a comprehensive look 
at the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson 
as a figure in American culture, 
the latter focused on the notori-
ous homicide of Simpson’s ex wife 
Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald 
Goldman, showcasing its effect on 
Simpson, played by Cuba Gooding 
Jr. (“Snow Dogs”) in a comeback 
role, as well as everyone involved 
in the trial. As predictable as the 
show may be, “The People v. O.J. 
Simpson” defies almost every pos-
sible expectation, boosting its Jef-
frey Toobin source material with 
an outstanding Emmy-winning 
cast, immersive cinematography, 
brilliant writing and a nuanced 
perspective into the so-called 
“trial of the century.” Had it been 
put in the wrong hands, the FX 
show would have been a disaster or 
simply a middling, somewhat pass-
able piece of television. Luckily, 
that isn’t the case, as Murphy and 
screenwriting duo Scott Alexander 

and Larry Karaszewski (“Goose-
bumps”) remain true to capturing 
the authenticity and intensity of 
the events surrounding O.J.’s trial.

In addition to being a drama-

tized account of the O.J. trial, “The 
People v. O.J. Simpson” touches 
upon topics that are just as relevant 
and timely as ever: the toxic per-
vasiveness of the media, the racial 
turbulence in L.A. post-Rodney 
King riots, the overt sexism thrown 
against prosecutor Marcia Clark 
(Sarah Paulson, “American Horror 
Story”) and more. Even when we 
think our society has progressed 
since 1994, it’s amazing that these 
issues can still resonate today. But 
perhaps the strongest element of 
“The People v. O.J. Simpson” is 
the acting, which transformed the 
famed players of the O.J. trial into 
engaging, three-dimensional char-
acters. While Paulson gives the 
performance of a lifetime as Clark, 
Courtney B. Vance (“Office Christ-
mas Party”) and Sterling K. Brown 
(“This is Us”) shine in their break-
out roles as defense lawyer Johnnie 
Cochran and prosecutor Christo-
pher Darden, respectively. Within 
its mere 10 episodes, “The People 
v. O.J. Simpson” spins its story into 
something that is not only worthy 
of great entertainment, but also of 
necessary viewing.

 — DANIELLE YACOBSEN

6. “715 CREEKS” 

Bon Iver

Justin Vernon’s 22, A Mil-

lion marks a sort of depar-
ture for the artist, away from 
his traditionally folk-based, 
acoustic music to a more 
experimental, 
electronic 

sound. It’s kind of like what 
Kanye did with 808’s & Heart-
breaks. And that’s a fair com-
parison to make seeing as the 
two are friends, and make 
music together — this new 
Bon Iver project is heavily 
reminiscent of their collabo-
ration “Woods.” That track 
was an obvious precursor to 
“715 Creeks,” a standout track 
which features only Vernon’s 
vocals and a synthesizer. It’s 

here the artist best demon-
strates the strength of his 
vocals, the intensity of his lyr-
ics, and the inventiveness of 
his production to create some-
thing completely engrossing 
but totally heartbreaking. Lis-
tening to the song is exhaust-
ing, but in a cathartic way; it 
feels necessary and right, but 
that doesn’t make the emo-
tional impact any less severe.

— RACHEL KERR