AllMusic 2015 Year in Review
Favorite Pop Albums
There was plenty of quality to be found in the pop music of 2015, from Carly Rae Jepsen proving that she had more in her arsenal than her 2012 hit to Madonna showing she still has what it takes and Demi Lovato flexing her pop muscles on Confident.
Sophomore effort and daunting follow-up to 2014 smash "Say Something," packed with arena-ready choruses and earnest positivity perfect for pop radio.
Reuniting with Max Martin and Shellback, the glam-disco singer creates a canny modern pop record.
The Swedish DJ's second genre-blending effort gets everything right with guests like Zac Brown, Wyclef Jean, Matisyahu, and Martin Garrix in support.
The second solo outing from the Killers singer is an infectious, synthy melange of '80s adult-contempo pop.
Dreamy debut full-length from young Michigan native with a love for glimmering disco, funk, and glam rock.
Sophisticated yet exuberant as a crush, Jepsen's second album established her as a consistently winning pop star.
The trio follows its massively successful debut with more rousing, expertly crafted synth-pop.
A messy, colorful magpie pop album that touches upon every modern trend while seeming like the work of nobody outside Demi Lovato.
British electronic pop singer bursts her sound wide open with a hooky, R&B-infused third album.
Post-Beyoncé female empowerment and '90s R&B inform the former X-Factor girl group's slick debut.
EDM gets vibrant and vocal as Christian Karlsson and Linus Eklöw joins forces on this debut LP.
Bombastic pop-culture satire and funky-beats make for an infectious, thought-provoking debut from the Los Angeles duo.
Working without Simon Cowell, the diva harnesses her powerful voice and broadens her sonic palette, resulting in her best album yet.
Pulsing disco beats and icy synths underscore this smart, feminist concept album.
Bold, messy, and life-affirming record that finds Madonna simultaneously looking forward and back.
MARINA / Marina and the Diamonds
The Welsh pop singer/songwriter comes into her own on her sophisticated and deeply layered third album.
Returning to '70s-inspired pop, the singer/songwriter delivers some of his most personal and confident-sounding songs yet.
The California outfit takes a moody, '80s new wave- and R&B-influenced turn on their sophomore album.
The now quartet's fifth album is another streamlined, shiny and bright pop confection.
Shamir Bailey / Shamir / Nick Sylvester
The Las Vegas-based artist's debut album expands on the vibrant, genre-defying charm of his early singles.
SOPHIE's cheekily named singles collection is an instantly addictive introduction to the producer's hyperactive, subversive reimaginings of pop music.
The whip-smart Australian duo emerges from a seven-year exile with a typically stylish, witty, and excellent modern pop record.
The Prosecco's chilled but the beats are hot on the fourth album from Boston's dynamic duo of party bro EDM.
Debut album from the smooth young Australian singer with poignant confessionals of love, youth, and yearning.
Avant-garde electronic sounds and groove-oriented R&B combine on the British trio's stellar debut.