Its lyrics were so sharp, so insightful, that people were convinced it couldn't have been written by a teenager. When Lorde's breakout hit "Royals" began to attract mainstream attention, it inspired equal parts awe and skepticism. Lorde released two of the decade's best albums, "Pure Heroine" (2013) and "Melodrama" (2017). "Her silver tongue and flair for the witty and dramatic make for verses you play on repeat just to catch the double, triple entendres." - Courteney Larocca and is as comfortable exchanging bars with Ariana Grande or Beyoncé as she is going head-to-head with Drake and Lil Wayne," Sowmya Krishnamurthy wrote for NPR in 2018. She vacillates seamlessly between rap and singing. "Her lyrical prowess and razor-sharp flow is undeniable. Throughout this decade, she essentially reinvented what it meant to be a woman in hip-hop - or really, just an artist in hip-hop – while effortlessly blending elements of both rap and pop, leading to instantly-iconic hits like "Super Bass" and "Anaconda."
Watch the queen conquer, indeed.Īnd we did watch Minaj conquer. Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" (2010) and "Anaconda" (2014) were two of the decade's biggest hits.īefore she even put out her debut album, "Pink Friday," in 2010, Minaj proved she was a force to be reckoned with when she stole the spotlight with her verse on Kanye West's "Monster." The song also featured Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, but 10 years later, it's Minaj's verse that undoubtedly left a lasting impression. I'm just the shot in the morning to get you going to make you believe you can overcome that situation that you're dealing with all the time." - Callie Ahlgrim You're a fan of yourself," he told Zane Lowe in 2013. "If you're a Kanye West fan, you're not a fan of me. His decade as an artist is defined by his refusal to give fans what they want, refusing to apologize, and then watching his decisions ripple across culture years later. He encourages us to challenge our very notion of music, of what's possible in a digital world, of what we take for granted and what makes us squirm. Streaming platforms, the rapper-producer has constantly pushed boundaries. Despite his recent string of mediocre releases, it's why many fans refuse to give up hope on the self-proclaimed genius.įrom the abrasive, futuristic "Yeezus" (2013) to the living document "The Life of Pablo" (2016), which West continued to tinker with after it had hit He has a singular talent for blending shock with creative redemption. This breakneck turnaround illustrates West's appeal and enduring impact. Shortly after, he dropped "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," a sprawling masterpiece that remains his best album to date. Then, at the 2010 VMAs, he premiered "Runaway," his anthemic "toast for the douchebags" that Insider ranked as the seventh best song of the 2010s decade. In 2010, Kanye West appeared to be trapped in a downward spiral: still reeling from the death of his beloved mother, recently split from his serious girlfriend, and essentially in hiding after his infamous "I'mma let you finish" speech. Kanye West's 2010 single "Runaway," left, is one of the decade's best songs.
She was named Spotify's most-streamed female artist of the decade, and she did it in just seven years (after making a self-described "terrible first impression"). Grande has brought a remarkable brightness and resilience to modern music, infusing each release with more and more details from her multi-colored inner life. And just when it seemed that she'd reached her creative peak, Grande spent three weeks in a studio, turning a string of tragedies into her most intimate and beloved project to date: "Thank U, Next" handily broke streaming records and earned a Grammy nomination for album of the year. 2018's meticulously produced "Sweetener" netted Grande her first-ever Grammy, winning best pop vocal album. 2016's "Dangerous Woman" was a portrait of a budding feminist, a once-in-a-generation vocalist, and an increasingly unstoppable force. With each year that passes, with each album she drops, Grande continues to evolve and her renown continues to swell. Just one year after that, "My Everything" - featuring hits like "Problem" and "Break Free" - further cemented her reputation as an illustrious pop icon. Her debut studio album, "Yours Truly," was a vivid blend of R&B, retro pop, and piano-driven doo-wop. When "Victorious" premiered on Nickelodeon in March 2010, Ariana Grande became known as the bubbly, spacey, red-haired Cat Valentine, a high schooler with a prodigious voice that the show grievously failed to showcase.īut less than three years later, Grande had seamlessly pivoted to a full-time music career. Her single "7 Rings" was one of 2019's biggest hits. Ariana Grande starred on "Victorious," left.