What hasn’t Beyonce done in 2016? Just when you thought it might be safe to say that there wasn’t another shocking thing that Queen Bey could do after the surprise release of her self-titled album, here comes LEMONADE. Only proceeded by a surprise release of the thought provoking and headline-grabbing “Formation” single, a Super Bowl halftime show performance, and a HBO special that had everyone talking, the leading lady of music went on to land one of the best selling album’s of the past year. Dominating stages across the world, largely due to her sold out stadium-setting Formation World Tour, the superstar was the talk of plenty of conversations for all the right reasons. Packing powerful messages in her music that went on to make national and international news, if the peak level of life was 100, Beyonce hit 101 in 2016. Breaking down even more barriers and once again making it clear that there’s no box she can be put in, It’s simply your loss if you aren’t a Beyonce fan. Get in formation before it’s too late.

Bad gal Ri Ri upped the ante with the release of her 8th studio album, ANTI, early in 2016. Deemed by some as her most daring approach to music yet, Rihanna made an ever larger mark as a risk-taker. Ruling the charts with her smash hit single, “Work,” it was records like “Needed Me” and “Kiss It Better” that struck a chord with fans, and ever better, casual listeners who may not have had RIhanna as their “go to” artist of choice. Completing a successful worldwide tour and further cementing her place in the world of fashion, largely due to her successful partnership with Puma, Rihanna looks to be killing it all and she’s not even 30 years old yet. Venturing further into acting in the closing months of the 2016, it may be safe to say that we’ll be seeing just as much of Rihanna in 2017.

Although 25 was released to us all at the end of 2015, Adele’s impact has shined throughout the following year in 2016. Shattering records left and right thanks to the success of the album’s lead single, “Hello,” and the attached body of work, Adele can consider herself the poster child example of just how many people will flock to your music if it strongly connects. With her demand at an all time high, the singer kicked off her Adele Live Tour that isn’t slated to end until July 2017. Performing multiple shows in the same cities night after night, the competition is little to none for Adele on a commercial front. An artist who makes an effort to showcase her growth with each release, while a new studio album isn’t in the cards any time soon, Adele’s latest era solidifies that the English singer is a mega force to be reckoned with.

Solange: a trust testament to the ageless saying of quality over quantity. A true shocker of 2016, while hardcore fans knew that Solange was waist deep into the making of her third studio album, the rest of the music world who didn’t have a sneak peek inside didn’t know that a masterpiece was on the way. Releasing A Seat at the Table in September and scoring her first no. 1 album on the Billboard Top 200 chart, Solange’s latest offering continues to lay on many souls with each listen. An ode to self love, Black culture, and anything else that comes with the two, A Seat at the Table came at the perfect time and goes on to provide a cheap in cost but 1000% effective means of therapy. Crafting one of the best songs of the year with “Cranes In The Sky,” the great music and uniqueness all spews from a woman who has no issue of informing the world that she’s just like you and I.

2016 is over, but Ariana Grande’s gradual takeover of the Pop culture landscape continues. Ariana had a handful of hits devoured by fans which included “Dangerous Woman,” “Side To Side,” with Nicki Minaj and “Let Me Love You,” so it was only right we crown her as one of our top female of 2016. Ari also expanded her brand and found herself in the Hairspray musical, on a handful of commercials, etc. Keep it going, Grande.